Citizens Group Calls on Ely to Resign

A citizens group composed of Simi Valley and Moorpark residents has filed a notice of intent to recall Community College Trustee Tom Ely, officials said Friday.

The 12-member group filed the notice with the Ventura County Clerk’s office late Thursday, said Ruth Schepler, who is in charge of the elections division. Ely now has five days to file a response, which would accompany any recall petition, Schepler said.

If the petition is certified, the citizens group would have 160 days to gather signatures from 15% of the 66,000 registered voters in the 4th District, she said. If 9,900 valid signatures are turned in, the College Board of Trustees would be required to hold a special recall election on the November ballot, Schepler said.

The citizens group demanded Thursday that Ely resign by Monday or face the possibility of being recalled.

The group cited “fiscal irresponsibility and unprofessional conduct” on Ely’s part as the reasons for their action. The group’s demand came on the same day that faculty leaders of each of Ventura County’s three colleges called for Ely’s resignation.

Ely, who has said that he will not resign his trustee post, has been the subject of controversy since it was disclosed in March that he had run up gambling debts and used his district telephone to call casinos in Nevada.