All council members under recall threat

UPDATE: Sergio Contreras has been served with a notice of intent to recall, The Tribune has learned. That brings all five members of the Westminster City Council under the threat of possibly being removed from office.

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The field of Westminster City Council members now facing a possible recall election has widened from three to four, as Councilmember Tao Do was served Wednesday with a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition.

Earlier this month, a group called Westminster United – which has generally supported Do in his complaints about fellow councilmembers – filed to recall three members of the council: Mayor Tri Ta and council members Kimberly Ho and Chi Charlie Nguyen.

The notice accuses Do of putting “unnecessary or redundant items on the council’s agenda,” of “abusing his freedom of speech by grandstanding” and making “false accusations.”

Tension between the council majority of Ta, Ho and Nguyen and the minority of Do and Councilman Sergio Contreras has been an ongoing feature of the last several meetings of the city council.

The steps of recalling a local elected official include the following:

• a notice of intention served personally or sent by certified mail;
• publication of the notice in a newspaper of general circulation
• officer sought to be recalled may file an answer within seven days
• preparation of a recall petition
• receive approval of the content of recall petition (within 10 days);
• determine the number of valid signatures required (estimated at 8,736).
• circulating the petition for 120 days
• city clerk examines “sufficiency” of signatures on recall petition
• if signatures are sufficient, a date for a recall election is set
• the recall voting is conducted.

For the complete rundown on the process, go to:   https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/recalls/recall-procedures-guide.pdf