Two Yucca Valley council members were served recall petitions yesterday. George Huntington was served at his home Tuesday morning and Robert Lombardo at a special Town Council meeting last night. The notices give six reasons for recall; 1- That as a council member, they approved a three-year, $300,000 contract for Town manager Mark Nuaimi; 2- While cutting Town programs and personnel, they approved a more expensive animal shelter without identifying how the Town would pay the additional cost; 3- That the council approved the use of $100,000 in public funds to promote Measure U; 4 – That the council members used their position to solicit funds for Measure U; 5- That they allowed the Town Manager to pursue a second tax measure against the will of Yucca Valley residents. And 6 – they appointed two residents to vacant seats on the Town Council instead of holding an election. Z107.7 reported Tuesday afternoon that it was expected Dawn Rowe and Mayor Merl Abel would also be served, but as of Tuesday night, they had not. Ed Montgomery, who served Huntington, and Ron Cohen, who served Lombardo, would not confirm or deny if they intended to serve recall petitions to Rowe or Abel, telling Z107.7 only, “We’ll see.” Managing editor Tami Roleff was at the marathon, 4-hour Council meeting last night, and files this report in 3 parts; today part 1…
“We intend to seek your recall and removal from the office of council member in the Town of Yucca Valley.” Yucca Valley resident Ron Cohen served Mayor Pro tem Robert Lombardo with a recall notice at the Yucca Valley Town Council meeting last night. “You approved a three-year contract with the town manager and cut or reduced programs and personnel.” Ed Montgomery of Yucca Valley, who served the recall notice to George Huntington Tuesday morning, also spoke during public comment. “I say this town is going down hill. When you guys got on, you just wrecked this town. And you’re not going to stop until we get rid of you. Period. We the people are taking back this town, whether you like it or not, whether the town manager likes it or not, we’re taking back this town.” Several residents, including Shannon Luckino, got up during public comment to express support for the Town Council. “I wanted to say thank you for your service and for giving to your community.” Council member George Huntington released a written statement about the recall effort, saying, “I consider this intent to circulate a recall petition potentially expensive, disruptive, and very disheartening. Regardless, I will continue to work unselfishly toward a better quality of life for all of Yucca Valley’s citizens.”
According to California election code, Council members served with recall petitions have seven days to respond with an answer limited to 200 words. After the town clerk has verified that the signatures on the recall petition are registered to vote in Yucca Valley, and verified that the recall petitions have crossed all their T’s and dotted all their I’s, the sponsors of the recall petition have 90 days to gather signatures from 25 percent of the Town’s registered voters, for the recall election. If the recall proponents gather enough signatures, then the Town must schedule a special election—at its expense—in not less than 88 days and not more than 125 days.
The recall notice was signed by 26 people: Ronald, Denise, Edward, and Janeen Cohen, Rae and Steve Packard, George and Leota Hoagland, Lauren and Laura Wilson, William and Jeannie Boyce, Joyce and Walter Metcalf, Marilyn and James DeBoard, Thomas and Nancy Haynich, Leanne Abbott, Robert Hix, Joyce Hargrove, Harry Bowkley, Claude Short, two James K. Walkers, and Grace Walker.
