IRVINE : Recall Drive Will Begin Collecting Signatures

The leader of a recall drive targeting three City Council members has received certification from the city clerk to begin gathering the signatures needed to put the issue on the November ballot.

Former Democratic congressional candidate Gary Kingsbury, an outspoken critic of city officials, said that members of his Irvine Recall Committee will begin seeking signatures at local shopping centers this weekend.

Mayor Michael Ward and council members Barry J. Hammond and Paula Werner are under attack by Kingsbury for their approval in July of a plan to borrow $62 million to make an additional investment in Orange County’s now-bankrupt pool. Council members Christina L. Shea and Greg Smith voted against the plan.

“That’s the key issue we’re focusing on,” Kingsbury said. “People just can’t believe that they borrowed $62 million to put into the fund.”

All three council members subject to recall have apologized for their decision, saying that financial experts and bond rating agencies assured them the investment plan was safe.

Their comments came after a lengthy public discussion Tuesday of a 594-page report compiled for the city by a bankruptcy law firm.

Recall proponents must gather signatures from 15%, or 8,400, of the city’s 56,000 registered voters within 160 days to put the issue on the ballot.