Recall Failure Called Slow-Growth Win : Mission Viejo Councilman Warns Foes After Victory

A day after he beat back a heavily financed campaign to oust him, City Councilman Robert A. Curtis warned his colleagues that he believes that he has a mandate from residents to pursue the slow-growth agenda that has frequently brought him into conflict with the council.

“I hope that the tremendous support we’ve received in this election would convince the rest of the council that this community supports growth controls,” Curtis said in an interview this morning. “If the three members of the council who have not been willing to listen to that message don’t heed it now, then they’ll simply have to stand for election on the basis of the issues, including their support for the recall.”

Curtis’ remarks came in the wake of an overwhelming victory that he won in Tuesday’s recall election. More than 33% of the city’s voters cast ballots in that contest, and Curtis won by a margin of more than 2 to 1.

The victory was all the more stunning because recall proponents raised more than $500,000 to defeat the councilman. Curtis raised less than $50,000 in his effort.

City officials said this morning that the Mission Viejo Co., the major financial backer of the recall, made several 11th-hour contributions to the campaign. Although final disclosure reports have not yet been filed, the company’s recorded contributions to date top $300,000, including more than $150,000 in the final two weeks of the campaign.

Curtis’ colleagues, two of whom openly opposed him in the recall campaign, said they hoped his threats to retaliate in November would subside with time.

“I understand how Bob and his supporters feel right now,” said Mayor Christian W. Keena, who endorsed the recall last week. “Bob and I are not going to be friends, but the voters didn’t elect us to be friends. They elected us to work together for this city, and I hope we’ll be able to.”

With all 37 precincts reporting, 8,679 voters rejected the recall to 3,835 who voted in favor. Slightly more than 33% of the city’s registered voters cast ballots, election officials said.