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.