RANCHO PALOS VERDES : Panel Again Deadlocks on Special Election

For the second time this month, the City Council has failed to comply with state election law.

Under the law, the council had 30 days to appoint a new member or set a special election after Councilman Steven T. Kuykendall resigned in December. Kuykendall won election to the state Assembly in November.

Earlier this month, however, the council deadlocked 2 to 2 on whom to appoint and then failed to call for a special election. Although the 30-day deadline had passed, the council was scheduled to call for a June election on Tuesday. The council again deadlocked 2 to 2 on whether to hold the election to fill the term that ends in November.

Mayor Lee Byrd and Councilman John C. McTaggart voted to hold an election, which was estimated to cost about $70,000. Councilwomen Marilyn Lyon and Susan Brooks voted against the idea. “I think it’s a ridiculous expenditure for the city to go through for such a short period of time,” Lyon said.

When the council considered appointing a candidate, Brooks and Lyon supported Planning Commissioner Kim Wang, one of 15 candidates. Byrd and McTaggart declined to vote for Wang, but said they were willing to vote for half a dozen others.

City Atty. Carol Lynch told the council that the city could be sued to force it to hold an election. She said the council should not try to fight such a suit and the city could be responsible for attorneys’ fees.

The next city election is scheduled for November.