Agoura Hills : Councilwoman Pavley to Face Recall Vote

It’s official: Agoura Hills City Councilwoman Fran Pavley will face a recall election.

Her hopes for a reprieve were dashed last week, after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne upheld her order for a recount of 94 recall petition signatures that had been deemed invalid. The recount produced 2,436 valid signatures against Pavley, more than the 2,405 needed to force an election.

‘I’m very happy,” said recall leader Barbara Murphy.

Pavley, fresh from a vacation in France, said Sunday she wanted to consult with the city attorney before deciding on a course of action.

“I have 2 1/2 years left on my term, and would like to finish,” said Pavley, who has vowed not to seek reelection.

The recall effort--which originally targeted all five council members--began last summer, after the council passed a 4% utility tax to help close what the city said was a $1-million budget gap.

In the recall group’s view, the council was forcing taxpayers to pay the price for wasteful city spending--a charge council members angrily deny.

Throughout the fall, the recall group worked to gather signatures in a campaign that divided the community. Later, after the city and county threw out hundreds of recall petition signatures on technicalities, the recall group sued for a recount. Wayne ruled against the recall group in all but Pavley’s case.

In a last-ditch effort on Pavley’s behalf, the city, saying the recall group had misrepresented facts, filed a motion asking Wayne to reconsider her recount order. But Wayne refused.

Meanwhile, recall group leaders said they fear the city will try to schedule a special election before November. That, they say, would work in Pavley’s favor because it would produce low voter turnout and allow Pavley to accuse the recall group of wasting taxpayers’ money.

Pavley said as far as she knows, the city won’t try to schedule an election before November.

Recall opponents have long maintained that the movement has been financed by business owners angry with the city for outlawing freeway signs 10 years ago--a charge those business owners flatly deny.