Fountain Valley : Clerk Gets Signatures on Voss’ Recall Effort

More than 7,000 signatures have been filed with the city clerk in a bid to recall Councilman Fred Voss because of his conviction last year on sex solicitation, authorities said.

City Clerk J.E. deSevren Jacquet said that after her office inspected the petitions Thursday, she sent them to the Orange County registrar of voters office for a thorough review to determine whether the signatures are valid.

The county has 30 days to check the signatures, she said. If elections workers finish the job by Aug. 11, the recall issue can be added to the joint consolidated election ballot in November. Otherwise, she said, the matter may be decided in a special election in December.

A group of Fountain Valley residents launched the recall drive against Voss, 52, last March on grounds that his conviction this year for trying to solicit sex from a Santa Ana policewoman posing as a prostitute makes him unworthy to hold public office. Voss stepped down as mayor but has continued to serve as a councilman. Laurann Cook is acting mayor.

Beverly Burnett, a leader of the drive, said 77 volunteers worked for weeks to obtain the needed signatures. “We were very gratified to finish it up and turn it in,” she said. “It’s just absolutely overwhelming.”

DeSevren Jacquet said recall backers submitted 7,028 signatures, which exceeds the 6,154 required to qualify a ballot item, based on 20% of the registered voters in the city.