Councilman Sam Allevato Responds to Recall Attempt

Councilman Sam Allevato filed today his response to the movement of residents trying to kick him off the San Juan Capistrano City Council.

Earlier this month, a group of people calling themselves Residents for Honest Government served Allevato with a notice of their intent to recall him. When the city received proof that notice was legally served, Allevato had seven days to write his 200-word-or-less response.

Patch is publishing it here in its entirety. All bolding, capitalizing and punctuation are Allevato’s.

“A small group of residents filed a recall against me because they don’t agree with the way I vote! The election process is an essential part of democracy; however, disagreeing with an official’s votes is NOT a reason for recall – that’s what elections are for!

“I proudly stand behind EVERY VOTE I cast. I voted YES to keep our city financially solvent by supporting balanced budgets, lower staffing costs, and strategic planning. YES, to protect open space, promote economic vitality, and keep our city safe. YES , to protect our future water recourses, control water rates, and reduce dependence from Metropolitan Water District. We have no choice where we buy our water, giving us no control over water rates. Our Groundwater Recovery Plant (built before I joined the council) will provide independent rate control and supply for our city.

“The people who filed this recall also filed a lawsuit against the tiered water rates costing our residents hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and now they’re proposing a special election that will cost residents another $100,000!

“I will continue to vote in the best interests of our city. Please honor the election process and reject this frivolous recall attempt.”

Allevato was re-elected to office as recently as November. He was first elected to the council in 2004 and is the longest currently-seated councilmember.

What’s next? According to Orange County Registrar of Voters, the proponents need to now publish their intent to recall the target in a newspaper of general circulation, according to the handbook.

They can then format their petition, which must adhere to strict rules provided by the Registrar of Voters, which has to sign off on the forms before any petitions can be circulated.

Upon submission of the signatures, the Registrar’s office will examine and certify them, the handbook states. If certified, the recall election is scheduled. Candidates may also come forward to offer themselves as a replacement should the recallee get the boot. 

In San Juan Capistrano, some 4,080 signatures are needed to force the election.