Petitions Filed to Recall Entire City Council : Government: Group says council’s vote imposing a 6% utility tax disregarded interests of residents.

A citizens group Thursday filed recall petitions against all five City Council members for approving a 6% utility tax.

“Over 5,000 signatures have been gathered on each Council member, more than 1,000 more signatures than necessary for a recall election,” said Virginia Vignol, spokeswoman of the Stop the Utility Tax Committee.

Vignol said the council failed to represent the interests of residents and businesses in adopting the tax, which went into effect in November.

City officials say the tax on gas, electricity, water and telephone bills, which expires next November, costs an average household or business $12.60 a month. There are exceptions for low-income families.

“The council disregarded the pleas of the people they were elected to represent and instead ratified the recommendations of the bureaucracy,” Vignol told about 50 supporters at City Hall.

The recall drive began last August after council members Henry Morgan, Chris Lancaster, John C. King, Chris Richardson and Robert Biancardi approved a 9.5% utility tax. After angry residents packed council meetings, council members cut the tax to 6% before its final adoption.

“If they have enough signatures, I am prepared to get out there and scrap for my job,” King said. “I am cautiously optimistic the council will prevail.”

Richardson said she would not comment until the city clerk had verified the signatures. Other council members did not return telephone calls.

The tax was adopted to help make up a $2.3-million budget deficit. The alternative, council members say, is to endanger public safety through cutbacks in fire and police services, which account for 75% of the city’s nearly $17-million budget.

The signatures of 20% of Covina voters, 3,932 residents, must be submitted for a special election.

Committee leaders say they filed 5,394 signatures for King, 5,335 for Morgan, 5,285 for Richardson, 5,256 for Biancardi and 5,187 for Lancaster.

City Clerk Joey Southall said a recall election would be held within 125 days if the signatures are validated by the county registrar of voters.

A simple majority would be needed to remove a council member and another election would be held to fill the vacancy.