City council recall, Yucaipa, California (2023)
| Yucaipa city council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Bobby Duncan Matt Garner |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in California California recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Justin Beaver, Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Duncan, and Councilmember Matt Garner did not go to a vote in Yucaipa, California, after signatures were not filed by the August 16, 2023, deadline.[1][2]
Recall supporters
A group called Coalition to Save Yucaipa organized the recall effort. The following text appeared on the group's website.[3]
| “ |
We are a united coalition of various community groups and dedicated citizens from all over the City of Yucaipa and nearby areas. We are concerned with the current scheme and unsound direction Yucaipa has recently taken. We are alarmed, aware and sensitive to the diabolical plan brought to our city by one man: Chris Mann. We recognize some Council members want to serve developers’ wants and profits against the people’s wishes. Our mission is to stop these politicians and restore the government of Yucaipa to one which is an honest, open and transparent city that serves all of the people. We have coalesced because we believe that the power is with the people, not politicians who have won elections with low election turnout and deceitful, dirty politics. We seek better representation and have banded together to fight against those who wish to impose their will and crown themselves kings of our community. They arrogantly ignore us, fail to listen and think they know better than we do about what is good for our community. We will not stop until they have learned they serve us. We are standing up to an attack on our town by greedy developers and misguided politicians. We dream of raising our children and grandchildren in a safe, healthy, clean community surrounded by open space, great schools, and unclogged roads that we have all enjoyed for years under the steady hand of past city leaders. We love Yucaipa and seek to keep our reputation as the jewel of the Inland Empire. We are grateful that Yucaipa epitomizes the words of America the Beautiful with our purple mountains majesty. While our city is not a utopia, we strive to unite each of us to maintain all that has been achieved thus far and protect our city from being decimated by high density housing citywide. We can and will create an opportunity for all walks of life to enjoy the fruits of our common goal. We are not against growth, but are in favor of reasonable, logic based growth. We want responsible, open space development agreed upon in a transparent manner at a slow and steady pace that benefits us all. There is no room for corrupt politicians who stand to make a profit. We seek to rise above political partisanship and embrace our differences and are united against the corruption and cronyism that has permeated our city hall. Our current goal is to explore the possibility of recalling any such politician, which may include referendums and initiatives to remedy the damage caused by egregious acts and bad decisions made by the councilmen currently controlling city hall. We have become aware of their plan to upend our General Plan across the city, leaving Yucaipans with the burden of the following:
And much much more.... We are a coalition who wishes to return to the tradition of our qualified and responsive city council of our past who respects us and listens to their constituents. We will not be discounted by self-serving politicians who attempt to degrade us. They must recognize that the trust we bestow on them is not to govern by force, but to lead us in maintaining a prosperous and admired city for all. We pray that those who think otherwise will come to their senses. Don't mess with the people of Yucaipa!!!![4] |
” |
Recall opponents
Beaver gave the following statement regarding the recall.[1]
| “ |
Since my election in 2020 I have endeavored to fulfill every campaign promise I made. I have helped increase our law-enforcement staffing, I have helped create better communication by voting to approve the public information officer and government affairs coordinator positions, as well as vote to approve a first ever sunshine ordinance to increase transparency at city hall. I have helped eliminate the fire services committee and establish a new public safety committee to focus on all matters of public safety affecting our city. I have continuously voted to oppose increased development and to bifurcate rural and urban Yucaipa. I promised in 2020 that I will be a problem solver and not a politician. What that means is I may not make the best politically correct moves, but any mistake I may have made was a mistake of the mind and not of the heart. I have only the best of intentions for our community, and want to see it preserved. The reasons the proponents of the recall have listed as cause are factually inaccurate.[4] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
Yucaipa residents Sherilyn Long, Steve Maurer, and George Sardeson filed notices of intention to recall Beaver, Duncan, and Garner on April 24, 2023.[1]
In California, the number of valid signatures required to trigger a recall election for a local official ranges from 10% to 30% of registered voters depending on the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction.
Recall organizers estimated they would need to collect around 2,000 signatures for each petition in order to put the recalls on the ballot.[5]
Yucaipa City Clerk Ana Sauseda filed "a legal challenge to the wording of the proposed petition on the basis that it contains false and/or misleading information," on May 18, 2023.[6]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 News Mirror, "Recall launched for three Yucaipa Council members," May 1, 2023
- ↑ News Mirror, "The recall may be over but the legal battle continues," September 12, 2023
- ↑ Coalition to Save Yucaipa, "Who We Are," accessed May 8, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Redlands Daily Facts, "Yucaipa voters launch recall targeting 3 City Council members," April 24, 2023
- ↑ The Sun, "Yucaipa city clerk challenges ‘misleading’ recall petition," May 26, 2023
