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Signature gatherers were again confronted, this time allegedly by Lilia Leon’s daughter in law.
By Brian Hews
A group of Commerce residents and community leaders have turned in more than enough signatures on petitions to call for a special election that will remove Mayor Joe Aguilar, and City Councilmembers Tina Baca del Rio, Leila Leon and Ivan Altamirano from office.
According to recall proponents, a total of more than 2,100 signatures were collected and turned into Commerce City Clerk’s Office shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday.
A total of 1,577 valid and verified signatures must been approved by the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder in order for a special election to be called against the four embattled elected officials.
Election officials will have 30 days in order to have the signatures validated.
“We are confident that we will have more than enough valid signatures and that the recall election,” said Mike Alvarado one of the leaders of the recall movement.
Another organizer, Jaime Valencia told Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper that supporters of Aguilar, Baca del Rio, Leon, and Altamirano have also turned in less than 350 signatures from original recall supporters who now want their names pulled from the recall papers.
The “retraction rule” is allowable under California State Election Code.
“Even with the retracted signatures, we still have more than enough to qualify the recall campaign against the four incumbents,” Alvarado said.
