CYPRESS : Petitions to Recall 2 on Council to Be Submitted Today

Completed petitions seeking the recall of two City Council members are scheduled to be filed today.

Regan Smith, a leader of the recall movement, said Wednesday that each petition contains more than 6,100 voter signatures--about 1,500 more than needed to trigger an election.

Smith said she and other recall workers would present petitions seeking the removal of Mayor Cecilia L. Age and Councilwoman Gail H. Kerry to the city clerk’s office. A third recall petition drive, targeting Councilman Walter K. Bowman, was not launched at the same time as the Age-Kerry petitions, and thus will be turned in later.

The recall effort against Age, Kerry and Bowman stemmed from their votes to approve construction of a 439,650-square-foot warehouse in the Valley View Street area.

Residents who were opposed to the warehouse project sought to invalidate the council action in court, but Orange County Superior Court Judge Francisco F. Firmat ruled this week in favor of the city.

“We’re sad about the court decision, but we’re definitely continuing with the recall,” Smith said.

Lillian Hains, Cypress’ executive coordinator/deputy city clerk, said Wednesday that each petition must contain 4,638 voter signatures in order to trigger a recall election for each of the targeted officials.

Hains said that Friday is the deadline for the city to receive the petitions against Age and Kerry, while the deadline for the Bowman petition is July 18.

After they have been presented to the city, the completed petitions will go to the county registrar of voters for verification of signatures. If the petitions contain the minimum number of valid signatures, the City Council, by state law, must set a special election.

Hains said the City Council must set such an election within 88 to 125 days. Thus the recall election, if it occurs, would be at some date in early fall.