Recall Notices Target Garcia, Duran

Two Bell Gardens councilmen who gained their positions a year ago through a successful recall election now find themselves facing a bid to remove them from office.

Two notices of intent to circulate recall petitions against Councilmen Rodolfo (Rudy) Garcia and Frank B. Duran were filed Monday with the city clerk. The documents state that removing the two councilmen is “in the best interest of the community.”

Recall proponents Estella Villa, Lund F. Colton and Rose Marie Lares, longtime residents of a Bell Gardens trailer park, are named on each notice.

However, the effort is being organized and financed by Northridge resident Leo McIntyre, a Bell Gardens business owner who was a strong backer of the recall campaign that brought Garcia and Duran to office.

“We’re tired of these kinds of people running this city,” said McIntyre, who heads Citizens for a Fair Bell Gardens Government, which organized this week. “I fought for 10 years against (the previous council), and now it’s the same as before . . . people out for their own personal gain.”

Garcia and Duran, along with council members George T. Deitch and Josefina (Josie) Macias, were part of a grass-roots coalition that ousted four Anglo council members in late 1991. Their campaign brought a Latino majority to power for the first time in this overwhelmingly Latino community.

Duran, now mayor, said he was not surprised by the recall notice because he had heard similar rumors at the last council meeting. He said he was surprised, however, that he did not recognize a single name on the recall petition.

“The people behind the recall don’t really know me,” Duran said. “If they did, they wouldn’t go forward with this.” Most of the allegations against him came from the newspapers, he said.

Garcia was at a League of Cities conference in Washington and could not be reached for comment.

The two council members have a week to respond to the allegations against them in the recall notices. Their responses would be included in the recall petitions.

Proponents have 90 days to collect 1,450 signatures, or 25% of registered voters, City Clerk Martha Ochoa said. If the required signatures are gathered, the question would be placed on the ballot.

According to the documents, since the new council came to office last March, Garcia has practiced “reverse discrimination and prejudice,” and Duran has shown “complete disregard for women” and “violated peoples’ civil rights.”

Duran had no immediate comment on the allegations but said he would provide an answer to the recall proponents at the end of the week. He said most of the recall advocates have no firsthand knowledge about their accusations.

In January, Garcia came under fire for a remark he made in closed session about the former city attorney, who is Jewish. The councilman also admits that he pushes to hire Latinos in City Hall because the city is 87% Latino.

Duran has repeatedly been accused of berating and harassing city employees, who he says “steal” from the city by arriving late to work and taking long lunch breaks. He also has been accused by Councilwoman Macias of making sexist and disparaging remarks about women.

Recall proponents said they decided to start the recall because they favor permanently hiring interim Police Chief Ed Taylor. Duran, Garcia and Councilwoman Rosa Hernandez voted last month to start a nationwide search for a permanent chief.