Residents Seek Recall of Councilman Petrikin

Alleging that City Councilman James D. Petrikin cannot prove that he lives in the city and is unable to serve, angry constituents Tuesday called for his resignation and announced a recall campaign.

Petrikin has missed several council meetings in the past year, absences that he has attributed to recurring health problems.

Also, he was arrested Nov. 4 in Lodi on suspicion of drunk driving. A warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to appear in court on those charges.

“It’s not the citizens’ responsibility to deal with your personal problems,” resident Sheila Marcus said to Petrikin at Tuesday night’s council session.

In an interview after the meeting, Petrikin said he lives in Fountain Valley and will provide a phone number and address today. Without elaborating, Petrikin also said the arrest warrant “was taken care of” Tuesday.