San Gabriel : Ballot Measure Challenged

A citizens group that says its views opposing a school-bond measure were unfairly excluded from the sample ballot for a March 2 special election is taking its case to the community and state officials.

Grace Carlos, chairwoman of Save Our Homes, said Monday that members of the group thought that they “were getting the runaround” from the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office. Registrar Charles Weissburd wrote her in a letter dated Jan. 29 that his office did not have the authority to accept a new ballot argument or to cancel the election.

Save Our Homes contends that the county published legal notice of the deadline for submitting ballot arguments in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, which did not circulate in San Gabriel on Nov. 26, the group maintains.

In his letter, Weissburd said that the county relies on the California Newspaper Bureau to recommend publications for legal notices and that county officials thought the Tribune was approved for the San Gabriel election.

Fearing a loss of homes, increased traffic and higher taxes, about 100 residents oppose plans to build a high school at the site of Jefferson Intermediate School, 1440 Lafayette St., Carlos said. (Students from Jefferson will be transferred to another school.)

Save Our Homes has scheduled a public forum to explain its views at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Parish Center of the San Gabriel Mission. Carlos said the group plans to ask County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, the state Board of Education and Gov. Pete Wilson for help in amending the ballot or stopping the election.

Halvor Melom, principal deputy counsel for Los Angeles County, said Tuesday that the county cannot halt the election or send out a supplemental ballot without “a court order or some appropriate direction from the school district.”

Carlos said Save Our Homes has not decided whether to take legal action.