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Mayor and city council recall, Oxnard, California (2018)
| Oxnard Mayor and City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Carmen Ramirez Bert Perello Oscar Madrigal |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| May 1, 2018 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2018 Recalls in California California recall laws Mayoral recalls City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Oxnard, California, to recall Mayor Tim Flynn and city council members Carmen Ramirez, Bert Perello, and Oscar Madrigal from their positions was initiated in May 2017. Aaron Starr informed the targeted officials of his intent to recall following a council meeting on May 16, 2017.[1] Starr gathered and submitted 68,377 signatures to the city clerk on November 15, 2017.[2]
Recall vote
The recall election was held on May 1, 2018. The recall efforts against all four officials were defeated.[3]
| Tim Flynn recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Recall | 4475 | 45.66% | ||
 Retain | 5325 | 54.34% | ||
| Carmen Ramirez recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Recall | 4038 | 41.63% | ||
| Retain | 5662 | 58.37% | ||
| Bert Perello recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Recall | 3936 | 40.56% | ||
| Retain | 5769 | 59.44% | ||
| Oscar Madrigal recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Recall | 4048 | 42.11% | ||
| Retain | 5565 | 57.89% | ||
Recall supporters
Starr initiated the recall effort after the four officials voted to raise wastewater rates through 2022. He did not target council member Bryan MacDonald because MacDonald was the lone vote against the rate increase. Starr was the lead petitioner on Measure M, a November 2016 measure passed by city voters that repealed a January 2016 rate increase. The city filed suit after the measure's approval to block its implementation.[1] In December 2016, a judge granted the city a temporary stay on Measure M, maintaining wastewater rates until an increase in January 2017.[4]
Recall opponents
Madrigal argued that the rate increase would prevent higher rate increases in the future. City Manager Greg Nyhoff supported this argument during the May 16 meeting, noting that the city's general funds were placed on negative credit watch by Standard & Poor's in November 2016 with the potential for a further downgrade.[1]
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 in Oxnard needed to gather at least 12,043 for each official—a total of 48,172 signatures—to require a recall election. The total for each official equals at least 20 percent of the registered voters at the time of petition circulation. Starr gathered and submitted 68,377 signatures to the city clerk on November 15, 2017.[2]
See also
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2017
- Political recall efforts, 2018
- City council recalls
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ventura County Star, "Recall targets Oxnard leaders who voted for hike," May 17, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KEYT, "Oxnard resident initiates recall for city mayor, councilmembers," November 15, 2017
- ↑ City of Oxnard, California, "May 1, 2018 City of Oxnard Special Election," accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ VC Star, "Court ruling on Measure M is small victory for Oxnard," December 13, 2016
