Councilmen Rebut Recall Backers

Striking out at those who seek to oust them from office, two Thousand Oaks City Council members have written formal rebuttals to allegations made in recall petitions, saying the charges against them are false.

Councilman Alex Fiore wrote that his critics have unfairly portrayed him as fiscally irresponsible for supporting the planned Jungleland civic arts plaza. In his written rebuttal, he said, his detractors have inflated the cost of the project to trump up a case against him.

“This is a $63-million project, not $133 million,” as stated by recall supporters, Fiore wrote in a reply filed Tuesday with the city clerk’s office.

Opponents of the Jungleland project last week announced a recall campaign against Fiore and Mayor Frank Schillo, claiming that the pair ignored thousands of voters who wanted to place the Jungleland issue on the ballot. Both deny the charge.

“The claim that I voted against 36,035 voters is ludicrous,” Fiore said.

To oust the two public officials, petitioners must gather about 8,500 signatures to place a recall question on a special election ballot. By filing the rebuttals with the city clerk, the petitioners are required to show the councilmen’s statements when gathering signatures.

The same group of disgruntled citizens has twice tried and failed to force the city to hold a special election. The last time was in March, when the council rejected a citizen-backed petition calling for a public vote on the project.

City officials said they were not legally obligated to hold an election on the Jungleland project.

Dick Booker, a spokesman for the recall supporters, said the group plans to include Fiore’s statement when it circulates its petition. But Booker said the group will not include Schillo’s statement because a copy was not provided.