LOS ANGELES — A group of San Bernardino, Calif. residents has succeeded in forcing three city officials face a recall election during the city’s regular primary election on Nov. 5.
The group called San Bernardino Residents for Responsible Government gathered enough signatures to force a recall election for City Attorney James Penman, Council Member John Valdivia, and Council Member Wendy McCammack.
City Clerk Gigi Hanna said the signatures needed for a recall election on those three were verified on Sept. 3.
The group was unsuccessful in efforts to have Council Member Chas Kelley added to the recall ballot, Hanna said. Kelley is running for mayor, but his council term lasts until 2015,
The terms of the three facing a recall election also end in 2015.
The remaining council members are up for re-election in the November primary, so six of seven council members could be replaced, in addition to Kelley, who would leave his seat if elected mayor.
Since the recall comes as part of the regular primary, the total cost to the city will be $450,000, which isn’t much more than it would cost to hold the regular election, Hanna said.
In Salinas, where a recall election also is being held, the city will pay $1 million to hold a special recall election.
“Because that is a stand-alone election, they are doing everything from scratch,” Hanna said. “We already have the polling places set up for the primary.”
San Bernardino filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in August 2012 and was deemed eligible to be in bankruptcy on Aug. 29.
