One Recall Notice Leads to Another at Council Meeting : Politics: Mayor Kathleen Navejas reverses a list of 10 charges against her. She serves them in return on a political foe, Councilman Domenic Ruggeri.

Recall notice came on top of recall notice at the City Council meeting last week.

Mayor Kathleen Navejas was served with a recall intent notice by her political enemy, Joe (Cabrera) Zermeno. He listed 10 charges ranging from abuse of power to corrupting the voting process.

Navejas immediately had the notice copied, crossed out her name and printed in the name of Councilman Domenic Ruggeri, who she claims is behind the recall move. She asked resident Rene Flores to sign it. Flores then gave the notice to Ruggeri.

Zermeno said his recall effort stems from the alleged “continual corruption perpetrated on the residents of Hawaiian Gardens by the Navejas coalition.” He campaigned vigorously against three candidates that Navejas supported in the April election. Two of them--Robert Canada and Robert Prida--were elected. The third, incumbent Councilwoman Esther Flores was defeated. Rene Flores is her husband.

Navejas defended her unusual response to the recall notice, saying Ruggeri should have to answer to the same charges she is facing. “He says he can prove these charges; he should have to deal with the same situation as me,” she said. Navejas has denied the charges alleged in the recall notice.

“It’s total harassment,” Ruggeri responded. “There’s no connection between me and the recall.” He said he will talk to an attorney to see if there are grounds to sue Navejas.

City Atty. Maurice O’Shea said both notices to circulate petitions contain all information required in the state Election Code. He said the code regulates how charges are specified, but not how they originate.

“At this point, it appears that both parties subject to the intent have been served and copies have been filed with the city clerk,” he said.

In Sacramento, the staff counsel for the secretary of state called the Hawaiian Gardens situation “unique” but agreed with O’Shea. “If a person sees a statement of grounds of recall and thinks they are appropriate for another person, there’s nothing to prevent the use of that same language,” said Oliver Cox, the secretary of state’s staff counsel.

Navejas and Ruggeri have until Tuesday to file responses to their recall notices, according to the city. Within 10 days after that, sample recall petitions must be filed with the city for review.

Recall proponents then have 60 days to circulate petitions and must obtain valid signatures of 867 registered voters--25% of the city’s 3,465 registered voters.