SAN CLEMENTE : Recall Drive Against 4 to Begin Monday

A group seeking the ouster of four City Council members received the necessary approval Thursday to begin collecting signatures from registered voters to force a recall election.

City Clerk Myrna Erway notified the group Thursday that it had met the necessary legal requirements to begin circulating a recall petition.

The group targeted Mayor Truman Benedict and council members Joseph Anderson, Scott Diehl and Candace Haggard for recall in March, in large part because of their decision in February to disband the Police Department and contract for law-enforcement services with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The council members say their decision will save the financially strapped city about $2 million in the first year alone and will increase street patrols. The city, which has a $20-million operating budget, is facing a total shortfall of $6.35 million for the 1993-94 fiscal year.

It is hoped that the change in police services will take place July 1. Officials are still working to bring a final sheriff’s contract to the City Council for approval.

Recall organizer Robb Topolski said the group, known as Citizens for a Better San Clemente, will begin collecting signatures Monday evening after a 7 p.m. meeting at the Ramada Inn.

The group will be concurrently collecting signatures to put a voter initiative on the ballot. That initiative would seek to overturn the council’s decision to disband the 65-year-old Police Department.

To force a recall election, the group must collect more than 5,000 signatures from registered voters in San Clemente within four months. To put the initiative on the ballot, it must get more than 3,700 in six months.

Topolski said he believes the group will have collected the necessary signatures by Mother’s Day.

“Everything is on schedule--I can’t believe it,” Topolski said. “We have a very well organized campaign now. It was kind of rough waters at the beginning as we learned to know each other.”

Opponents of the recall and initiative drives promise a widespread campaign of their own.

“We plan to have people offering information on the police contract at those same places where they are,” said Bob Morris, a member of San Clemente Taxpayers for Honest, Ethical Government. “We are hoping the people will stop and think and make their decision as sensibly as they can. We don’t want to interfere with the process, but we want people to understand there is a valid reason to go forward with the contract.”