Candidates Eye Second Election As Recall Signature Drive Closes In

DHS Recall ^ | December 10, 2005 | G.King

[BJungNan]

While admitting it is still too early to declare the signature drive a success, DHS Recall founder Patrick Gillespie beams with confidence that there will be another election coming soon to Desert Hot Springs. That prospect has candidates readying their campaigns.

For some candidates, that means only turning their campaign back on, campaigns that for some brought them very close to election. For others that did not enter the race in the last election, Gillespie says that means getting started now.

"Many people do not yet realize that the recall effort is more about a second election than it is about recalling the two candidates we are targeting for removal from office," Said Gillespie. "Anyone thinking of serving on the council, it is not too early to be making (election) plans."

While none of the candidates that ran in the last election would speak on the record about making another run should a second election be made possible by a successful signature gathering drive, two candidates in the last election speaking on the condition that their names not be used did say they would indeed run.

And one of those said he had already put word out to key campaign backers to be ready. "As close as we came, yes, if there is a chance to run again (before the next regular election) I will do it," he said.

The last election shows several candidates making a strong but unsuccessful showing.

Desert Hot Springs City Council (I) Gary Bosworth -- 782 Votes 20.31% (won) Yvonne Parks -- 685 Votes 17.79% (won) Adam Sanchez -- 595 Votes 15.45% John Gerardi -- 581 Votes 15.09% Dale Evenson -- 556 Votes 14.44% (I) Will Pieper -- 271 Votes 7.04% Robert Bentley -- 224 Votes 5.82% Ken Dow -- 153 Votes 3.97% Desert Hot Springs Mayor Alex Bias -- 703 votes 34.92% (won) Mary Stephens -- 663 votes 32.94% Ted Mayrhofen -- 410 votes 20.37%

The recall has not been without it's detractors regarding any upcoming election as a result of the recall, some raising issues about the recall committee's roll in the candidate selection process.

In a column appearing in The Desert Local News, accusations were made against the recall group in a column by Bill Effinger, a community activist and regular columnist to Desert Local News, that the recall group was secretly fielding candidates.

"The very same people who are crying for 'open government' as being their goal in the recall are campaigning using blind candidates," wrote Effinger. "Voters are being asked to 'trust us' (the recall backers) 'we know what’s best for you and will tell you who the candidates are when we are ready and not before'," said Effinger of the recall group.

"That is utter nonsense," said Gillespie. "We have no lock on who can run."

Indeed Gillespie is correct that the recall group can not decide who will run in a recall election. The way the election will work is that the voters will be asked two basic questions: Should either Mary Stephens or Hank Hohenstein or both be recalled? And if yes, who should replace them?

Once the election qualifies, any legal resident of Desert Hot Springs, including unsuccessful candidates in the last election, can run for office. The only exception is that neither Stephens nor Hohenstein will be able to run. And the recall committee does not decide who can run.

Should enough voters decide that the allegations against Stephens and Hohenstein warrant the recalling of the two embattled councilpersons, then a second election will take place. That election would most likely take place in late March or early April.

To Effinger's charge that the recall committee was secretly fielding candidates, Gillespie replied, "We may back one of the candidates in the race, yes," said Gillespie. But he explained that will only happen if the group sees no other candidates it feels are qualified. "

"We have our hands full now getting to all the people that want to sign the recall petition. And after the recall qualifies, we will be working hard to make sure voters vote yes" to the recall, he said.

The two candidates the group seeks to recall, councilpersons Stephens and Hohenstein, are both under much public scrutiny for their votes to pay former City Manager Jerry Hanson $322,000 in 2004. Hohenstein is also facing at least two grand jury investigations over a land deal he may have been involved in with Hanson.

In the event both are recalled, then the candidates with the highest number of votes - just as in a regular election - will take over the remaining terms of office of Stephens and Hohenstein. Both have two years remaining in their terms of office

[BJungNan]