Manteca could start the New Year with petitions being circulated to recall Manteca Mayor Ben Cantu.
City Clerk Cassandra Tilton Candini forwarded the intent to recall petition her office received on Monday from Mantecans4Change to the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters.
If those 20 signatures are verified as valid Manteca registered voters and the appropriate legal notice is published the group will be allowed to gather 9,000 plus signatures needed to trigger a recall election. That will require at least 9,040 signatures based on the number of registered voters within the City of Manteca as of Sept. 27.
Based on the 120-day time frame if they successfully collect the needed signatures, the election would likely take place June 7. That would allow the city to combine it with the primary election at a cost of more than $200,000.
If the council opts to have it sooner Manteca would have to foot the cost of a standalone election that would be significantly higher than $200,000.
A June 7 recall election, should it occur, would take place two months prior to the filing period opening for candidates to run for mayor in November as Cantu’s four year term ends in December.
If a recall election is triggered it would require enough time for candidates to file for Cantu’s position should be recalled.
There is a possibility if the clock doesn’t start ticking until Jan. 1 and it takes 120 days to gather enough signatures it could force the council to set a special election if there is not adequate time for the registrar of voters to verify signatures as well as conduct a filing period for possible replacement candidates, and have the ballots printed and mailed to make the June 7 primary election.
That’s because 120 days would end on April 30 allowing only 38 days for those four tasks to be accomplished. If that happens and there are adequate verified signatures the council would be forced to set a special election at a later date.
Not only would it be closer to the time Cantu’s term is up and if he is replaced that person if they wanted to continue serving beyond December would have to almost immediately file and run another campaign but it would also cost the city more than $200,000 for the recall vote.
This is the second intent petition that the group has submitted. The first was rejected after four of the 21 signatures were not valid Manteca voters. The intent petition requires 20 valid signatures.
The original intent petition listed three grounds for Cantu’s recall:
*Inexcusable neglect. Organizers based that on the San Joaquin County Grand Jury report that found after Cantu got elected the city got rid of department heads and replaced them with people who “lacked the experience, qualifications, and financial acumen” respective positions required to completely perform their jobs. That, according to the Grand Jury, created a dysfunctional situation that triggered chaos and turmoil throughout city government.
*Investigations/settlements of lawsuits: The petitioners cite the haphazard execution of administrative leaves that were precursors to department heads leaving the city as the catalyst for several lawsuits resulting in investigations costing between $40,000 and $60,000 each. That, combined with several packages and settlements cost the city over $1 million in two years. Since the grand jury report the city paid another $499,000 in settlements.
*Failure to enforce laws: The intent states for “three long years after taking office, the mayor has intentionally failed to enforce laws and address the growing homeless encampments in the City, and specifically in city parks enjoyed by all citizens. Failure to address these issues has created a public safety issue and is detrimental to nthe citizens of Manteca and out qualify of life.”
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
