STANTON : Dotson Joins Fight to Recall Sapien

Councilman Harry Dotson, bitter over his failed bid to become mayor pro tem, has decided to join the fight to recall Councilman Sal Sapien, who is the newly appointed mayor pro tem.

“The man wants to be king, and he wants to run the city,” Dotson said.

Mayor pro tem and mayor are honorary positions on the five-member City Council and are given by a council majority vote. Mayor pro tem is the Latin term for vice mayor. The two positions are changed yearly. The mayor runs the twice-monthly council meetings.

Sapien has been mayor twice since Dotson was elected in 1990. Dotson said Monday he is worried that Sapien will be appointed mayor again in November for the final year of his term.

“He’ll have been mayor three times out of the four years I’ve been on the council. Now that’s not fair,” Dotson said. “I’ve been waiting my turn.”

“I don’t think Mr. Dotson understands what the deal is,” Sapien said. “In order to get leadership positions within the council, you have to show some leadership. In order to get the votes, you have to show some leadership.”

Sapien said he is not sure whether he will seek appointment as mayor after the November elections. “I’m just going to wait and see how the wind blows,” he said.

Dotson has never been mayor or mayor pro tem. Sapien was elected mayor pro tem last week by a 3-1 vote, with Dotson in opposition. Sapien was elected to fill the position left vacant by former Councilman Joe V. Harris, who resigned last month to spend more time with his father.

Dotson said that he will now be “walking the streets” with leaders of the recall against Sapien. They must collect 2,144 signatures from registered voters by mid-December. Recall proponent Martha S. Zuniga said she has gathered 70 signatures in the past two weeks.

Sapien was served with a recall notice in June. The impetus for the effort was Sapien’s support for a 6% utility tax.

Leaders of the recall drive also complained that he favored Measure A, a June ballot measure that would have permitted card clubs in the city. Sapien never publicly spoke for or against the card clubs and said he wanted to let the city’s voters decide the issue. It was defeated on June 8.