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"A collaborative political resource." |
Community coalition readies recall petitions for Santa Maria City Council
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| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Edited | Thomas Walker Jul 08, 2003 01:03pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Jul 02, 2003 12:00am |
| Description | The Santa Maria City Council was served notice Tuesday night that their jobs may be on the line from a coalition of angry residents.
Notices of intent to circulate a recall petition drive for four sitting Santa Maria council members was served during public comment. One by one, community members brought forward the notices for Council members Alice Patino, Leo Trujillio, Bob Orach and Marty Mariscal.
"What we have here is a failure to communicate," William Wagener, a local cable-access television show host told the council, quoting a prison guard in the movie "Cool Hand Luke."
Wagener told the council they had "circumvented democracy" on numerous counts recently, including the ouster of former elected City Clerk Stephanie Swarner, whose job is now filled by City Manager Tim Ness, and the putting out for bids a fluoride delivery system when the fluoridation of city water will soon be on a city-wide ballot.
Others cited the city's treatment of former Police Chief John Sterling, who was forced to take early retirement in May after Ness placed him on leave pending termination over conflicts of management style.
"The way he was let go is not worthy of a democracy," said resident Nicholas Anderson of Sterling's ouster. "It may be worthy of a dictatorship."
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