Recalled Officials Returned to Office in Baldwin Park

Two of the winners in Tuesday’s special election promised business as usual in a city where business has been anything but usual for months.

Four months after they were ousted in a recall election, Jack B. White and Leo W. King were returned to the City Council, although in different offices.

King was elected mayor, the position formerly held by White, and White was chosen to fill King’s former council seat. Both terms end in April.

The third open seat was won by Julia S. McNeill, who will fill the position held by her husband, Robert H. McNeill, until he died in December. That term ends in April, 1990.

Confusing Period

The election ends a confusing period that began with McNeill’s death and became more complicated with the March recall election of White and King. Since that election, the city has been run by two council members, who have postponed action on major projects until a full council is in place. The three are expected to join the council next week, after the election results are made official.

King received 1,452 votes for mayor, defeating Frank Mamone, 871; Bette L. Lowes, 555, and Anne G. Farkas, 209.

White was the election’s top vote-getter with 1,482 votes for the council seat formerly held by King. He received nearly three times as many votes as his two closest competitors, Justina T. (Tina) Ramirez, 526, and Raquel Corrales, 510. Raul A. Reyes received 288 votes, and Gustavo M. Rodriguez got 282 votes.

McNeill with 1,180 votes, defeated Terry O. Hughes, 801; Eulogio A. (Eli) Roca, 354; Albert E. Sanders, 304; Henry J. Littlejohn, 292; Arthur L. Salsameda, 101, and Carlo L. Leone, 86.

King and White said their wins are a signal that they should pursue redevelopment projects and attempt to attract large retail stores, just as they did before their recall. They did say, however, that they would work harder to communicate with residents, especially about controversial projects, such as the utility tax and a redevelopment project that sparked the recall.

“I’m glad that the people approve of the way we’ve been running the city all these years,” White said, pointing to the final tallies. “I’d hate it if we had worked all these years in the wrong direction.” White, 54, had been mayor for nine years before the recall.

King, 58, said he hoped he and White had cleared up what he called misconceptions about some of their decisions, especially the utility tax. The council should have done a better job of explaining the need for the tax, added King, who had been on the council for 15 years before his recall.

Message From the People

“I just think that we got a message out to the people of our true intent,” King said. “The people listened to us and felt that the city was going in an orderly manner.”

Herschel Keyser, who led the effort to recall White and King, said he was not surprised that the two were returned to office, in view of the large number of opponents.

The group he heads, Citizens for Better Government, will meet Sunday to consider its options for the next City Council election in April, he said.

“We’re not going to give up,” he said. “The war’s not over, they just won a battle.”

Keyser said he hopes the group will combine efforts behind one opponent for both King and White, if they run again.

Emotional Night

Election night was a poignant one for McNeill, 65.

Surrounded by more than 20 family members, eight of her nine grown children and two grandchildren, she joined White, King and several other candidates watching the results at the council chamber in City Hall.

As she fingered a diamond-cluster ring her husband had given her for their 50th wedding anniversary six months before his death, she thought about what he would think of the outcome.

“I think he feels good wherever he is,” McNeill said. “He knows I’ll do a good job and he knows I’ll carry on the same principles that he had.”

One of McNeill’s daughters, Donnie Eddings, said it was a “double blessing to have two members of my family elected to leadership in City Council.”

Eddings also had an idea about what her father would think of the election. “I think he would be elated,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I’m sure he is.”

During the campaign, McNeill generally supported the positions held by White and King.

White and King had been criticized by some residents for running again so soon after the recall, but they said that the low turnout in that election did not reflect the will of the people. In the recall, ballots were cast by 2,672 of the 15,252 residents who were registered at the time.

City officials said that 3,187 of the 15,343 residents now registered voted in Tuesday’s election.

Anxious to Know

Councilman Bobbie Izell was also at City Hall Tuesday night, arriving before the polls closed at 7 p.m., eager to see who would join him and Councilman Richard Gibson on the five-member body.

The two have conducted city business by themselves since the recall.

Robert McNeill’s name appeared on the recall ballot along with White and King, but the vote ended in a tie, so he technically was not recalled.

Had a majority, or three of the five members, been recalled, White and King would have been allowed to serve until the special election. But since only two were recalled, the Legislature approved special legislation that allowed Gibson and Izell to conduct city business.

“Up until now me and Rich have been putting everything on the consent calendar, we vote and we go home,” Izell said. “Now we’re back to those long meetings.”

Izell said he was not surprised by the outcome, but rather by the larger than expected voter turnout.

White and King ran for each other’s seats because under state law a person defeated in a recall can run immediately for another position but must wait at least six months to run for the office from which he was ousted.

Some opponents had complained that the two might run for their old seats in the April election.

“I’ll wait ‘til April to decide that,” said White. “We’ll see how things go.”

But King said he will probably run for mayor again in April, and will not consider seeking his old council seat.

Farkas, who came in last in the mayoral race, said White, King and McNeill had better name recognition and financing. Opposition to the three was split because of the large number of candidates, she said.

“At least we slowed them down until next April,” she said, referring to the recall.

Sanders, who was defeated for the council seat won by McNeill, said the three winners deserve congratulations for a well-run campaign. And like other election losers, Sanders said he did not regret running.

“Running itself is a victory,” he said. “Running itself got some of my ideas across.”

After the final results were posted, Pam Schnabel, a 28-year Baldwin Park resident, danced in the center of the council chamber, cheering and waving her hands.

“We won, we won, we won!” she shouted. “The greatest guys in the world are back in City Hall!”

Final Results

Winners in bold type.

MAYOR For the seat of Jack B. White, who was recalled in March. Term expires in April, 1988.

Vote % Leo W. King 1,452 47.0 Frank Mamone 871 28.2 Bette L. Lowes 555 18.0 Anne G. Farkas 209 6.8

CITY COUNCIL For the seat of Leo W. King, who was recalled in March. Term expires in April, 1988.

Vote % Jack B. White 1,482 48.0 Justina (Tina) T. Ramirez 526 17.0 Raquel Corrales 510 16.5 Raul A. Reyes 288 9.3 Gustavo M. Rodriguez 282 9.2

For the seat of the late Robert H. McNeill. Term expires in April, 1990.

Vote % Julia S. McNeill 1,180 37.8 Terry O. Hughes 801 25.7 Eulogio (Eli) A. Roca 354 11.3 Albert E. Sanders 304 9.8 Henry J. Littlejohn 292 9.4 Arthur L. Salsameda 101 3.2 Carlo L. Leone 86 2.8

Voter turnout 20.8%