Mayor and city council recall, Bell Gardens, California (2020)
| Bell Gardens Mayor and City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Pedro Aceituno Marco Barcena |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in California California recall laws Mayoral recalls City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Bell Gardens, California, to recall Mayor Alejandra Cortez and Councilmembers Pedro Aceituno and Marco Barcena was initiated in February 2020. Recall organizers submitted notices of intent to recall, but the notices were rejected by the city clerk.[1]
Aceituno was elected to the city council in a 1999 recall election that saw the removal of Mayor Joaquin Penilla, Mayor Pro Tem David Torres, and Councilman Salvador Rios. Aceituno received the most votes to replace Torres.[2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was initiated in response to issues surrounding real estate development and cannabis businesses.[1] The notice of intent against Aceituno read:
| “ | Under election law, you have placed personal interest above the interest of the community and enriched yourself, and your acquaintances through the approval of various projects that have been brought forth to the Council pertaining to real estate development and public safety. You have subsequently and consistently failed to vote on critical matters that affect our city. You have a illegally attempted to hold incompatible public offices costing taxpayers money and being forced to resign by Los Angeles County District Attorney. You have failed to keep campaign promises to protect Bell Gardens from the proliferation of cannabis businesses and the health and safety concerns such businesses will bring to the community.[3] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
Recalls of local officials in California start with notices of intent to targeted officials. Each notice requires signatures from 10 city residents, the name of the targeted official, and reasoning for the recall that cannot exceed 200 words. A copy of the notice is delivered to the city clerk, who publishes the notice in at least three public places. Targeted officials have seven days following receipt of their notices to issue statements of defense. A recall petition can be circulated against each targeted official once the notice of intent is published.
Recall organizers sent notice of intent to Cortez, Aceituno, and Barcena on February 24, 2020. The notices were filed with the office of the Bell Gardens City Clerk, but the notices were rejected by the city clerk on the grounds that they did not include Section 11023 of the Elections Code, which covers the handling of statements of defense.[4]
Recall efforts can be started from the beginning of the process after notices of intent are rejected.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Los Cerritos Community News, "Bell Gardens Residents Begin Recall of Mayor Cortez and Councilmen Aceituno and Barcena," March 9, 2020
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Bell Gardens Voters Recall 3 City Council Members," May 12, 1999
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California State Legislature, "California Code, Elections Code - ELEC § 11023," accessed March 20, 2020
