huntington beach city council recall

Recall proponents accuse their six targets of radically transforming Huntington Beach from a suburban beach community to one of urban high-density development.. In the end, there were enough to meet the minimum requirement of 13,352 signatures representing 10% of the citys registered voters. Recall proponents have said high-density housing was a major concern in the effort, and they were unhappy that the council appointed progressive civil rights attorney Rhonda Bolton last July to fill the empty spot created when Tito Ortiz resigned from his City Council seat. Supporters of the recall effort also are angry that the council chose Bolton over their preferred candidate, Gracey Van Der Mark, who last year appeared at campaign events alongside Ortiz. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. That assertion stems from the councils 6-1 vote on Feb. 15 to update a Bolsa Chica annexation feasibility study, which could result in bringing the 1,200-acre piece of land within city limits. It took two raucous meetings under a tight deadline, but Huntington Beach narrowly dodged a $1 million special election last month when a majority of council members agreed on a replacement for colorful former Councilman Tito Ortiz. But other council members argued that the city charter tasks them with selecting a replacement, falling back on a special election only as a last resort. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. The heavy cost already incurred for an initiative that barely off the ground will come out of the general fund. I mean, theres no argument that says they have to tell the truth to these people theyre asking to sign petitions. The physical address of the FPPC is 428 J Street, Suite 620, Sacramento, California 95814. If each petition has enough valid signatures, which is far from a slam dunk given the thin margin of error, then a recall election would be triggered this summer that would cost the city about $1 million. Kalmick said he is very confident that the Registrar of Voters will find there were not enough valid signatures needed for the recall election, though he added that some of the claims being made by Save Surf City go beyond being ill-informed to actively misinforming people. Kennedy Commission CA Supreme Court City's Response Kennedy's Petition for Review. It suggests a lack of seriousness to attempt to recall a councilmember who had yet to cast a vote.. I mean, these are all of the issues that I hear about all day long. Huntington Beach elects city council members at large for four-year terms, staggering the elections every two years. The city clerk declared that Bolton was ineligible given that she hasn't served 90 days. The recall proponents have a 160-day window, which ends on Feb. 6, 2022, to collect the signatures. The next Huntington Beach City Council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 7. A detailed accounting of compensation received by each Council Member is available in the link below. Estanislau said she is still researching what, exactly, recall ballots might look like. As lawmakers target drag shows, many wonder: Why? Last night, the City Council in Huntington Beach, California enacted a new municipal ordinance regarding the flying of flags outside of City Hall, but not until they got an earful from protesters who attended the council meeting. The deadlines were staggered due to a paperwork error. It cost $3.40 for each signature verified, said Marcia Nielsen, the countys candidate and voter services manager, for a total of nearly $144,000. The Orange County Registrar of Voters recommends that petitioners for any recall or ballot measure secure 50% more signatures than required in this case, 30,000 per petition to make up for the expected number of invalid signatures. The petition documents and proof of publication for Posey, Carr and Kalmick were filed with the city clerks office on Aug. 20 at least a day short, Estanislau said in her message. 2000 Main Street. Public policy. Should organizers turn in signatures well before their 160-day window closes, they could, conceivably, pull off a stand-alone special election in early 2022, City Clerk Estanislau said. One of the petitions has already been suspended by the city clerk because the proponents failed to read the states rules for recall. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. [7] Organizers re-served the notices of intent for recall to the three officials on September 7, restarting the process. And they say the county, not the city, should fund a homeless shelter that opened in December of 2020. Are these petitions even legitimate? she asked. The open session portion of the City Council meeting starts at 6 P.M. and can be viewed on HBTV via Channel 3 or online. Observer Russell Neal talks with a handfull of observers as they watch the count of petitions to recall Huntington Beach City Council members Kim Carr, Dan Kalmick and Mike Posey Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 at the Huntington Beach City Council building. The new rules limit the flags that can be flown on the flagstaff outside. Though its far from certain that any recall will happen, the push could force a new set of elections as soon as early 2022. https://t.co . Huntington Beach seeks to sidestep city attorney, hire its own lawyer. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Registrars findings and will be challenging them.. That prospect could get a little complicated. Huntington Beach has 133,989 registered voters, Estanislau said. Matt Szabo is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. Carrs seat comes up for election in November of 2022, while Delgleize and Posey term out that year. I dont have a lot of respect for people who campaign and lie, and there has been nothing truthful about any of this.. The group has 10 days to make those tweaks before the revised petition can be approved by the city clerks office, and the recall proponents can start collecting signatures. Carr said she hadnt been thinking of the recall effort in recent weeks. The Registrar now has 30 working days to certify the signatures turned in by Save Surf City. Kalmick said in a phone interview Friday that he notified Estanislau that the petitions were late on the morning of Aug. 20. Click on the tabs below for more information about political recall efforts in 2022 by type of office. Susan was a longtime correspondent for People magazine before switching gears to earn a masters in education at UC Irvine. Natalie Moser, shown here after being elected to the City Council last November, is one of five council members a group called Save Surf City is attempting to recall. Voters throughout the city decide the entire council. Huntington Beach, California 92648. The FBI has identified QAnon as a domestic terrorist threat which has been linked to violence such as kidnapping and murder. He noted that most of his friends waited until Tuesday to vote in person, so their votes were. A group looking to remove three Huntington Beach council members from office has gathered the required number of signatures to get a recall on the ballot, though its not clear that enough of those names will be certified as valid to force an actual recall election. I am proud to stand alongside so many hard-working residents who just want a voice in the future of their city, Van Der Mark said. Residents in Huntington Beach, California, initiated a campaign to recall Mayor Kim Carr and five of the six additional members of the city council in 2021. City Clerk Robin Estanislau said a stand-alone recall election would cost Huntington Beach around $1 million. Huntington Beach City Clerk Robin Estanislau informed recall proponent Russell Neal in a message Thursday that the group had 10 days to file two blank petition documents and proof of. No big-name rivals for Gov. Council member Tito Ortiz is destructive to the health of the Huntington Beach community. Learn More. don't have families and don't actively participate in the community or follow city council meetings. In a more likely scenario, a recall vote would end up piggybacking off the statewide primary election on June 7, 2022, a less expensive outcome for the city. This recall effort gives them a voice and fills me with hope for the future of my hometown.. I think the system is still broken, Kalmick said. Alphabetical Listing of Site Info & Services, Copyright 2002-2023 All rights reserved. Matt Szabo is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. Erik Peterson is the only council member favored by Save Surf City. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. See also: Mayoral recall efforts. Resident Russell Neal said the effort to recall stems from the council's "failure to protect the citizens of Huntington Beach from state efforts to change our zoning laws and destroy our single-family home beachfront community, and turn it into one urban high-rise, high-density development." Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Recall elections are a substantial, unplanned cost for taxpayers. You can also send an email to [emailprotected] to reach all seven City Council Members. The Registrar of Voters has 30 business days, until April 6, to certify the signature count and notify the city clerk. Michael was elected as Huntington Beach City Attorney on November 4, 2014. [2][3], The group Save Surf City initiated the recall effort. Kalmick said he is unconcerned about the prospect of a recall. They got roughly 9% of the voting electorate of the city. A vocal group of conservative Huntington Beach residents have decided to take steps to try to shift the balance of power on the City Council. Post not marked as liked 5. I dont know where theyre coming from when theyre saying that its Robins fault that they missed their deadline, when the code is extremely clear that they have 10 days to file after our response., Kalmick said he believed that the attempt to recall himself and his four colleagues has been baseless from the start.. Huntington Beach's City Council Members are part-time elected officials. Two weeks before, the same group conceded failure in drumming up enough signatures to recall Mayor Barbara Delgleize and Councilwoman Natalie Moser. The effort to recall five city council members in Huntington Beach has suffered a major setback. Register labeled the Huntington Beach recall bids a 'silly effort,' 'an ill-defined hissy fit,' and 'a waste of time.' He has also suggested that should a governor be recalled, the lieutenant governor automatically step in. They dont like the results of the election, and they wanted to change the results of the election because they dont respect what the voters did.. A representative from Save Surf City, who did not give his or her name, said in an email that the group plans to move forward on recall efforts of all five council members. ', We recognize that recall is a vital process in the protection of democratic principles. It took two raucous meetings under a tight deadline, but Huntington Beach narrowly dodged a $1 million special election last month when a majority of council members agreed on a replacement. The list below shows the different city boards as well as the outside agencies that council members may serve on. California Politics | The City Council Members are elected officers identified in Government Code Section 87200 and file statements of economic interests with the City Clerk's office. And while gathering signatures can be easy, collecting enough valid signatures from registered voters is often a challenge. U.S. President | Save Surf City, the Huntington Beach organization pushing to oust most of the council, published a statement Tuesday saying, "Our all-volunteer efforts did not achieve the 13,282 minimum requirement to force a recall election of these two," referring to Delgleize and Moser. Save Surf City also made an attempt to recall Delgleize and Councilwoman Natalie Moser but failed to collect enough votes in the six-month period allowed by state law. California Politics | The reason the (County) Registrar says get another 50% is because its difficult to collect valid signatures., Carr agreed. In calendar year 2021, each Council Member received approximately $1,688 per month. Save Surf City has stated that it also intends to move forward on the recall efforts of Mayor Kim Carr, Mike Posey and Dan Kalmick. Gavin Newsom also fought off a recall election, handily winning. We believe one local resident in a letter to the Daily Pilot eloquently sums up the state of the recall petitions in the following: 'This is an effort forged from manufactured grievance and a desire for political retribution, and it lacks even the slightest hint of credibility, good faith or actual desire to benefit Huntington Beach. Now, no one is happy, Newsom talks education, homelessness in State of the State speech, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Ramit Varma qualifies for June primary ballot, California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Recall efforts focus on gathering signatures, with the most organized and successful campaigns using professionals, Democrats have called into question the recall system, many saying that it should be used to remove corrupt politicians, not as another tool to stop policy, Huntington Beach members pointed to the cost, more than $140,000 and as much ass $1 million if a special election had to be held, Four members are up for reelection in November with Kim Carr choosing to run for the newly drawn Senate District 36. The Orange County Registrar of Voters informed city officials Wednesday that the recall petitions against Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey and City Council members Kim Carr and Dan Kalmick did not meet the minimum signature requirements to trigger a special election. California Politics | Her jobs to hand them the instructions, and if they have questions, they need to hire legal counsel. Huntington Beach has a new city council member after almost two months of deliberation and public comments, which led to the appointment of the city's first Black woman on the council. Additionally, the Orange County Registrar of Voters office recommends 5% above that total to compensate for ineligible signers. Matt Szabo is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. The new online reporting system will facilitate public access to campaign disclosure documents and make the filing process easier and more efficient. The number recall organizers had to reach was 13,352 signatures, which is 10% of registered voters in the city. While interested replacement candidates would not be bound by districts, apparently they would have to choose just one council member to potentially supplant. Once the petitions are certified, Save Surf City will have 160 days to round up signatures. California Politics | City Councilmembers serve on various Boards and Commissions for the City. My focus has been doing the good work for the residents, just continuing to do good work, she said. HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. An attempt to recall Huntington Beach city council members has fallen flat, reigniting questions about the recall process in California. Recall proponent Gracey Van Der Mark, who finished fourth in the November 2020 election that brought Kalmick, Moser and since-departed Tito Ortiz onto the dais, said that she has talked to hundreds of residents who feel betrayed and marginalized by the current majority. Posey noted that when he was reelected in 2018, he earned more than 34,000 votes, the most of anyone in the election. 100% remote. The Orange County Registrar of Voters informed city officials Wednesday the recall petitions against Councilwoman Carr, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey and Councilman Dan Kalmick did not meet the minimum signature requirements to trigger a special election. A total of 11 candidates, divided without overlap among the three officials, offered themselves as replacements. Enough voter signatures have been collected to trigger a special recall election for three Huntington Beach City Council members, if the vast majority of the signatures themselves are declared valid. Save Surf City achieved only an additional 7%, leaving their ultimate success in question. Residents in Huntington Beach, California, initiated a campaign to recall Mayor Kim Carr and five of the six additional members of the city council in 2021. [1] The city council members subject to the recall campaign were Rhonda Bolton, Barbara Delgleize, Mike Posey, Dan Kalmick, and Natalie Moser. Elected in 2020, Kalmicks seat will be open again in 2024. Save Surf City put out a statement Friday morning largely accusing Estanislau of attempting to hinder the recall effort. Federal courts | Box 190. This is a partisan witch hunt, and it has nothing to do with anything weve actually done on council. The stated grounds for recall mainly focus on the recent appointment of Rhonda Bolton, calling her a Washington D.C. transplant although she has lived in Huntington Beach for nine years. [1] In a press release, an excerpt of which appears below, the group explained its motivation for the recall campaign:[4], The Notices of Intention to Circulate Recall Petitions for Carr, Delgleize, Kalmick, Moser and Posey cite failure to protect the interests of the citizens of Huntington Beach and damaging the City Charter by surrendering local zoning control to the state among other grounds for recall. The City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month. Prior to his election, Michael was a partner at a successful law firm in Orange County, serving as a trial attorney and had defended numerous clients in a wide range of legal areas such as: Federal Civil Rights (Excessive Force), Public Entity Law, Government Tort Liability, General Liability, Truck/Automobile Liability . While they are frequently in the office, if you are interested in meeting with a Council Member, please call the City Council office at 714-536-5553 toschedule an appointment. Thats it. City staff reviewed the revised petition for recall forms against Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Delgleize and Councilwoman Natalie Moser and found them acceptable for circulation, City Clerk Robin Estanislau confirmed Thursday. [3], The submission deadline for the petitions against Carr, Posey, and Kalmick passed on February 23, 2022. Fashion companies would have to help recycle clothes under proposed California bill, Intelligence agencies dont think adversaries are behind Havana syndrome, Shepherd mix Bear is easygoing and easy to love, Lab mix Scoob Bear is perfect for an active family, Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (Feb. 23-March 2), Marine mammal rescue breaks ground on $14 million expansion, water reclamation project. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer), Huntington Beach City Clerk Robin Estanislau, right and her staff prepare to count petitions to recall Huntington Beach City Council members Kim Carr, Dan Kalmick and Mike Posey as observers watch Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 at the Huntington Beach City Council building. Im grateful that those voters that put me in office didnt sign the recall and kept me in office, he said. Section 302 of the City Charter sets a stipend of $175 a month for each Council Member it also states that "each member of the City Council shall receive reimbursement on order of the City Council for Council authorized traveling and other expenses when on official duty upon submission of itemized expense account therefore. For now, the pro-recall forces face the huge hurdle of wrangling about 20,000 valid signatures 10% of eligible voters who say they want to dump each individual council member. A deadline to submit recall petitions against three other members . The five council members who were put on notice last week had seven days to respond. Among the 44 residents who signed the notice is Dave Sullivan, a longtime councilman who last served in 2016. Hosted by Erin Aubry Kaplan Dec. 20, 2021 Orange County. Three Huntington Beach City Council members vowed Thursday to move forward, a day after they learned that a recall effort against them had failed to collect enough valid signatures. State legislature | Save Surf City proponents pledged to continue the fight, although it was unclear what form that would take. This amazing video is from our 4 endorsed candidates for City Council. A large KKK rally once attracted 20,000 people to the city. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, delivered to City Clerk Robin Estanislau on Feb. 23, appointed progressive civil rights attorney Rhonda Bolton, County renews grant pursuing sentence reductions in some homicide cases over protest from district attorney, Man accepts plea deal for DUI in Huntington Beach that killed friend, sentenced to 4 years, City Council preview: Laguna Beach to consider deal with Be Well OC for mental health services, OCC program helps students learn the lost art of job seeking, Daily Pilot e-newspaper: Friday, March 3, 2023, Orange Countys COVID-19 metrics remain flat; 177 hospitalized as of Wednesday, Laguna Beach reports $17-million budget surplus in update, Huntington Beach leaders share love of reading with elementary students to celebrate Dr. Seuss birthday, Newport Beach names Jonathan Langford, Brady Barto to Planning Commission. The City Councils duties include establishing goals and policies, enacting legislation, adopting the citys operating budget, and appropriating the funds necessary to provide service to the citys residents, businesses, and visitors. Another major motivator is cost. It sets an additional monthly allowance of $698 per month for each Council Member and $936 for the Mayor to be adjusted annually by the consumer price index for all urban consumers, all items, 1982-84 equals 100, published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the Los Angeles/Anaheim/Riverside Metropolitan Area (CPI). Save Surf City Endorsement Video. The physical address of the City Clerk's office is City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, California 92648. Enough voter signatures have been collected to trigger a special recall election for three Huntington Beach City Council members, if the vast majority of the signatures themselves are. Newman regained his seat in 2020 during a presidential year, which tend to have the highest participation, and won handily. Despite what might seem long odds, recall supporters expressed optimism. Aug 6, 2021; 5 min; HOW OUR HB ELECTIONS ARE STOLEN - VOTE SPLITTING. Members of Huntington Beach City Council have a new year's resolution: Hire a new lawyer. Van Der Mark missed a spot by placing fourth. Among many sore points, Ortiz flouted the citys coronavirus safety measures by refusing to wear a face mask inside the chamber forcing meetings to be conducted virtually. Each petition has around 14,000 signatures, some 700 more than the 13,352 valid signatures or 10% of the citys registered voters needed for a recall election. These efforts, pursued and executed by a small fraction of voters, have generated discussion in Sacramento to curtail and ultimately rethink the recall process. I am disappointed that the city now has to pay about [$144,000] for this. The City works closely with commercial brokers, retail and industrial businesses, the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, and other business organizations. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.