Petitions to Recall Councilwoman Filed

Residents submitted petitions this week with nearly 1,300 signatures supporting an election to recall City Councilwoman Patty Campbell. The vote would be the first of its kind here in more than two decades.

At the same time the petitions were turned in at City Hall, Campbell fired off a complaint to the district attorney’s office requesting an investigation into how names were gathered.

Campbell and her supporters allege that the recall petitions were passed off as other ballot measures and that canvassers denied they were gathering signatures for a recall vote.

The recall campaign was triggered by a proposal for commercial and residential development of the Bixby Ranch property near the College Park East neighborhood.

Recall proponents said that Campbell, who has about 5,000 constituents in that neighborhood, has not represented their interest in slow growth.

Gordon Trigg, a spokesman for the recall committee, said the group turned in 1,268 signatures. Campbell’s claim of election code violations is just “blowing smoke,” he said.

Campbell was elected in March 1996 to a four-year term.

“This whole thing is very frustrating,” she said this week. “I feel it is most unfortunate that people are being intentionally misled.”

City Clerk Joanne Yeo said petition signatures must be verified within 30 days.

If the petitions are validated, the recall election probably would be in early March.