Lack of Qualified Signers Dooms Laguna Recall Bid

An attempt to recall the mayor of Laguna Beach and two City Council members failed Friday when the city clerk declared that not enough registered voters had signed petitions seeking a recall vote.

Each of three petitions filed last week required 2,997 valid signatures, City Clerk Verna L. Rollinger said. But the Orange County registrar of voters, after comparing signatures to Laguna Beach voter rolls, verified only 2,321 signatures on the petition against Mayor Dan Kenney, 2,307 against Councilman Robert F. Gentry and 2,267 against Councilwoman Lida Campbell Lenney.

Kenney said Friday that recall “is a process I respect” but an effort he did not expect to succeed.

“It was not completely surprising to me that it failed, and I appreciate the support we got from many people and groups,” he said. “It’s a nice feeling.”

Joel Rasmusson, chairman of the Committee to Recall City Council, said he was “disappointed and amazed that over 1,000 . . . of the signatures collected were disqualified.”

“We tried, but there’s still something wrong in Laguna Beach, and perhaps what we’ve done will make more people aware.”

The recall group’s action against the three city officials began last spring after the council ruled that merchants could not display wares on sidewalks or other areas outside their business places. At the time, Rasmusson described the council’s attitude as “intrusive” and “anti-business” and said it “caused unreasonable restriction of property rights.”

Rasmusson said Friday that his group will continue to work to change the makeup of the City Council in November, when two other council members, Neil G. Fitzpatrick and Martha Collison, are up for reelection.

“What we really want to do is get rid of the city manager (Kenneth C. Frank), and it only takes a 3-2 council vote to do that,” he said.

Councilwoman Lenney said news of the recall failure was “fantastic and a great relief.” Gentry said, “It gives me great pride to serve in a city where constituents are aware and bright and not taken in by special-interest activities.”