AGOURA HILLS : Signatures Validated in Pavley Recall Effort

A group trying to oust the entire five-member Agoura Hills City Council appears to have managed to force a recall election against one member, Fran Pavley, according to Los Angeles County records.

The county, which has completed a recount of 94 signatures that had been thrown out on technicalities, has validated 2,436 signatures against Pavley, more than the 2,405 needed to force a recall election, the records show.

The recount was ordered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne, at the urging of the recall group, which sued the city and county to force the recount of hundreds of signatures thrown out on technicalities.

In her ruling, Wayne said that the city and county had no legal authority to throw out the signatures in Pavley’s case. However, she sided with the city and county in the case of the four other council members.

Recall group members said that, while they had hoped to oust all five members, they will be satisfied if they can recall Pavley, who they claim runs the city.

“We will cut off the head of the evil dragon,” said Chuck Borland, a leader of the recall group.

The group launched the recall attempt last summner, after the council voted to implement a 4% utility tax to close what the city said was a $1-million budget gap.

Pavley said Monday she believes that many of the people who signed the recall petitions were misguided. “A lot of people were just objecting to taxes in general, or were upset with the state, or were upset with the federal government--not with any City Council member” in particular, she said.

Pavley has vowed not to run again after her current term expires in 2 1/2 years. She declined to say whether she plans to fight the recall attempt, saying she first wants to talk with the city attorney. The city has filed a motion asking Wayne to reconsider her decision to order the recount.

“We really have to wait and see what the judge says before taking any further action,” said City Atty. Greg Stepanicich.

Wayne is scheduled rule on the matter by June 30, he said.

If the judge rules against the city, he said, the council would have to set an election within a time period specified by the state Election Code.

Pavley and others have long charged that the recall group has been financed by business owners angry with the city for outlawing freeway signs--a charge those business owners flatly deny.