Recall Heads to Ballot

By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER, St. Helena Star

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Supporters of the recall campaign against the St. Helena school board collected enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot, Registrar of Voters John Tuteur announced Tuesday.

Proponents submitted the petitions to Tuteur Sept. 14. They claimed to have collected more than 2,000 valid signatures in support of recalling each trustee, well over the 1,515 needed. There are 6,016 registered voters living within the school district boundaries.

In the past week Tuteur and his staff determined that the petitions were valid, based on a random sampling process spelled out in the state election code.

Tuteur will officially notify Trustees Ines DeLuna, Cynthia Lane, Carolyn Martini and Cindy Warren at the board’s next regular meeting on Oct. 8. Trustees will then have 14 days to call an election. If they don’t, state law requires Tuteur to call it himself.

The board can decide between a polling place election and a mail-only election. It must take place between 88 and 125 days after the election is called.

If Tuteur notifies the school board on Oct. 8, that would put the election sometime in January or February.

“Obviously I am very disappointed that this is what the community has decided,” said Warren. “It has created a huge rift in our town and pitted parent against parent. Pro-recall parents are not letting their children play with kids whose parents are on the other side. Little League parents sat on opposite sides of the stadium.

“I don’t think this is a healthy thing for our community. Let us not forget that two-thirds of the voters chose not to sign the petition.”

Despite phone messages left Tuesday and Wednesday morning, the other trustees didn’t respond in time for the Star’s deadline.

“We are extremely excited and proud to learn that the recall petitions have been certified and the voices of the community have been heard,” said Molly Morales, speaking on behalf of the pro-recall Citizens for Quality Education. “This is an example of democracy in action.

“We would like to thank the community for welcoming us into their homes and listening to us discuss the important issues that affect our school district.”

The ballot will include four yes/no questions as to whether each trustee should be recalled.

Following each question will be a list of the candidates who filed to replace that trustee.

The voter information pamphlet will include the proponents’ statements in favor of the recall, the trustees’ responses, and statements by each candidate who writes one, including the trustees.

After the election is ordered, Tuteur will release information about how to file as a candidate. Each candidate will have to specify which trustee’s seat they are running for.

Recall Supporters Submit Petitions

Recall supporters submit petitions

By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER, St. Helena Star

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Proponents of the recall campaign against the St. Helena School Board say they have submitted enough signatures to trigger a recall election against all four trustees.

Recall supporters turned in the petitions to Registrar of Voters John Tuteur’s office on Monday. They say they collected at least 2,000 signatures for each of the four recall petitions, 30 percent more than the 1,515 required to trigger a recall.

Tuteur has until Oct. 26 to verify that the petitions meet the standards set forth in the state election code.

If the petitions pass the test, Tuteur will inform the proponents and the trustees in writing and make an announcement at a regularly scheduled school board meeting.

The board will then have 14 days to order an election. The board can choose between a traditional polling place election or a vote-by-mail contest. The election must take place 88 to 125 days after the board orders the election.

“We feel confident that the recall is going to be certified and that the community’s voices will be heard,” said Molly Morales, a representative of the pro-recall group Citizens for Quality Education.

Supporters say they collected 2,026 signatures in support of recalling Ines DeLuna, 2,022 for Cynthia Lane, 2,012 for Carolyn Martini; and 2,009 for Cindy Warren.

Signature gatherers worked from voter rolls to make sure people who signed the petition were eligible, said Morales. There are currently 6,016 registered voters living within the school district boundaries, said Tuteur.

Tuteur said just two people contacted him asking to have their names removed from the petitions.

A core group of about 12 people led the canvassing effort for more than four months, said Morales.

“When we were going door-to-door there were a lot of people who consistently said, ‘Our voice isn’t being heard’ or ‘We asked and weren’t told’ or ‘We feel intimidated.’ Finally those voices are being heard,” said Morales.

The signature-gathering campaign was fueled by concerns over the board’s fiscal management, the awarding of retirement packages to former Superintendent Allan Gordon and former high school Principal Jim Zoll, and the appointment of Robert Haley as superintendent without an outside search for other candidates.

Morales said the campaign isn’t a personal attack on the trustees, and she hopes the debate over school issues can remain civil.