The Orange County Vote : Officials Feel Voter Unrest in Fullerton, Westminster : Recall: One city ousts 3 council members. Another retains 4 politicians, but one official says scars remain.

One was a 31-year veteran of the city’s Police Department, another a former planning commissioner, the third a longtime member of a variety of community committees. Together, they’ve lived in Fullerton 114 years and served 30 years on its City Council.

Now they’re out on their political ears.

“I’m very, very disappointed, but I have no regrets at all,” said Councilman Don Bankhead, who was ousted Tuesday, along with colleagues Molly McClanahan and A.B. (Buck) Catlin in Orange County’s first successful recall election since 1989.

“Let’s face it, the people in our nation are greatly upset and turned off on government. Unfortunately, the closest ones to take it out on are the locals,” sighed Bankhead, 61, a retired police captain. “If things are going to get better, (it’s) going to have to start at the top and go down because the money starts at the top. If you’re attacking the people at the bottom, you’re really attacking the wrong group.”

Angry about a 2% utility tax the three lawmakers passed last summer to balance the city’s budget, Fullerton voters kicked Bankhead, Catlin and McClanahan out of office, with at least 52% supporting recall in each case.

Meanwhile, Fullerton’s city clerk beat a recall attempt, as did four Westminster council members. Westminster’s bitter campaign focused on the council’s layoff last year of five firefighters, but the recall effort died with about 65% of the voters opposing it Tuesday.

“It was a nightmare,” said Westminster Councilwoman Charmayne S. Bohman. “This is a vindication for the council. This shows that we have acted responsibly.”

In accordance with state law, Fullerton’s recalled council members will remain in office until a special election is held to replace them. The election is planned during the first two weeks of October, but City Manager James L. Armstrong said he hopes to postpone the special election--which would cost about $100,000--until November, when two of the three seats are up for reelection anyway.

W. Snow Hume, secretary of the Fullerton Recalls Committee, said recall proponents are now on the lookout for potential council candidates. None of those who powered the campaign will be on the ballot, he promised.

“We especially want people who are not politically ambitious, who never thought about running for council,” Hume said. “We want reform. We don’t want political ambitions. That’s what this movement is about.”

Bankhead and McClanahan, who cannot run in the special election, said they are unsure whether they will try to reclaim their seats in the future. Catlin, 75, a former planning commissioner and the city’s current mayor, did not return calls for comment.

“I’m not off the council yet, and I will not trash my city,” said McClanahan, 56, who was a city volunteer for 16 years before her election to the council in 1982. “I’m going to continue to provide intelligent leadership as best I know how.”

The recall results stunned Fullerton leaders--and county political pundits.

Consultant Eileen Padberg said she was “amazed,” while Cal State Fullerton political science chairwoman Sandra Sutphen said she was “shocked and surprised” that such longtime council leaders were ousted over a relatively small tax.

And at UC Irvine, local government expert Mark Petracca said the Fullerton election showed the importance of recall in the democratic process.

“I’m delighted that someone finally got recalled, because it is going to scare the pants off of every elected official in this county who thinks it can’t happen to them,” Petracca said. “It’s just nice on occasion to see citizens beat City Hall.”

Orange County’s last successful recall was in 1989 when Fred Voss was deposed as Fountain Valley mayor. There have been 21 recalls since then, but only one other even made it to the ballot before this year’s elections in Fullerton and Westminster.

The two recall elections differed in several key ways, experts said Wednesday.

Launched by employees and supported by sympathetic unions across the state, Westminster’s recall battle had consultants on both sides, which used sophisticated direct-mail campaigns. In Fullerton, though, the recall campaign took on a grass-roots flavor as volunteers--many retirees who met while working for Ross Perot’s presidential bid--stood on street corners waving placards.

In addition, Fullerton’s recall was about a tax hike, Westminster’s concerned a cut in services.

“People are more adverse to having their taxes increased during a recession than they are to seeing general cuts in services,” Petracca said. “The lesson for other cities is, don’t raise your taxes, try cutting services. And hope, hope that no one tries to recall you.”

In Westminster Wednesday, City Hall was filled with sighs of relief, as Bohman, Mayor Charles V. Smith and council members Craig Schweisinger and Tony Lam held on to their posts.

“People sent a message that their elected officials will run the city, not the firefighters,” said a confident Smith.

But some see the recall effort as just Round 1 in a bitter fight between firefighters and city management.

Later this month, an arbitrator will review the grievances of six Fire Department employees fired in May. And the Westminster Firefighters Assn., which led the recall effort, has promised to revive the issues when Lam, Schweisinger and Smith face reelection in the fall.

Fire Chief John T. DeMonaco Jr. acknowledged Wednesday that the recall election will leave scars in his department, but he said he hopes the healing has begun.

“It was a big fight for everyone,” DeMonaco said. “We need a chance to rebuild.”

Times correspondents Bert Eljera and Mimi Ko contributed to this report.