Recall Leaders End Effort to Oust Official : Thousand Oaks: Costly legal expenses are cited in the decision to drop the five-year push to remove a veteran councilman.

A dogged five-year campaign to oust veteran Thousand Oaks Councilman Alex Fiore has failed, as recall committee leaders threw in the towel Tuesday, citing expensive legal bills and endless hassles.

“We can no longer afford to fight the deep pockets of City Hall,” said Joan Gorner, head of the 1,000 Oaks Recall Committee. “I’m positive we would have won, but I couldn’t give up another year of my life.”

For his part, Fiore, who plans to retire when his eighth term ends in 1994, blasted his opponents as “very hateful people” and said he was relieved to be free from “continual harassment.”

Instead of facing a possible recall, Fiore can now look forward to capping off his long political career by officiating at the grand opening of his pet project, the $64-million Civic Arts Plaza. When the performing arts complex opens with a splashy ceremony in October of 1994, Fiore will be serving his final stint as mayor.

“They failed miserably,” Fiore said of his opponents. “They were just blowing smoke.”

Councilman Frank Schillo, who has served with Fiore for nine years, agreed. “By dragging out this (recall effort) for so long, they were trying to besmirch his reputation unfairly,” Schillo said. “Just leave the guy alone already.”

The abrupt end to Gorner’s recall effort lays to rest a saga that began in 1988, when she launched the first unsuccessful crusade to remove Fiore from office. That campaign fizzled, but two years later she began circulating another recall petition, this time targeting Schillo along with Fiore.

While she opposes the two councilmen on a host of issues--from the use of redevelopment funds to appropriate sign design--Gorner has reserved her harshest attacks for their support of the Civic Arts Plaza.

But with the complex half-completed and a widely praised executive director on board, the controversy over the performing arts center has largely dissipated. Gorner herself conceded Tuesday that “there’s not much point” to continuing her protests.

She said the recall campaign, as well, seemed too frustrating to carry on--especially since her committee had already spent more than $10,000 on the effort.

Although Gorner’s committee collected more than 10,000 signatures in 1990, the county registrar invalidated several hundred, so the petitions for both Schillo and Fiore fell short of the number required to put recall questions on the ballot.

Schillo’s subsequent reelection removed him from the reach of the recall committee. But Gorner, Dick Booker and a handful of other activists kept the fight against Fiore alive, going to court to win additional time to double-check signatures that the registrar had invalidated.

Last month, the 1,000 Oaks Recall Committee claimed that at least 220 of the invalid signatures had been wrongly disqualified, but Gorner decided Tuesday not to pursue further investigation.

And with the recall effort officially dead, City Clerk Nancy Dillon is now obligated to destroy the petitions, City Atty. Mark Sellers said. “The law does not want those kept around because they are confidential,” he said.

Dillon said she will schedule an official shredding session soon, with witnesses from outside Thousand Oaks.