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With Monday, July 16, being the deadline for turning in enough signatures to qualify for the November election, the effort to put the recall of Georgetown Divide Public Utility District Director Kathy Otermat before the voters has failed.
Bob Villalobos, who is one of the leaders of the recall movement, said they counted signatures over the weekend and were “substantially short” of the number needed. He declined to state the total number of signatures gathered.
“I’m somewhat disappointed,” he said. “The initial response was good, but it petered out after a while.”
But he said he was heartened by the fact that the number of people voting for Otermat’s recall was higher than the number voting against the proposed fee increase to pay for the retrofit of the Auburn Lake Trails Water Treatment Plant.
Last month the group reported they had between 1,300 and 1,600 signatures. They needed 1,780 signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.
“Well over half the people we talked to have no clue what was going on,” he said. “We had to spend time explaining it to people. A lot of them had a ‘Who cares attitude?’ ”
Villalobos said they had 16 to 20 people collecting signatures, but they needed more for the effort to be successful. “If we do it again, we’ll have a different way of attacking it,” he said. “We’ll spend more time educating people first.”
Villalobos said he planned to contact the county Elections Department on Monday afternoon and inform them that they didn’t have enough signatures to qualify the recall for the election this fall.
Contact Dawn Hodson at 530-344-5071 or dhodson@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @DHodsonMtDemo on Twitter.
It looks like this FAIL was called six weeks ago: http://www.inedc.com/1-923
I believe that it was said that there was never a recall done at the District. Did you know that on April 24, 1967 GDPUD voters recalled. Clayton Renke and Burton Threlkel they were replaced with Howard Price and William Bastien. Renke and Threlkel were accused of inefficiency and disregard for the districts’ financial conditions. So, if the public really believed that Director Otermat was deserving of recalling she would be on her way out. Since no real facts were every found on a reason to recall this director other than she was not voting with the other 3 directors is a sure sign of changes needed at the District
Looks like Georgetown decided the “real facts” are that Kathy is doing her job. How refreshing.
Villalobos (Krizl’s friend) “declined to state the total number of signatures gathered.” It was a near miss? Hah!
Ms. Hodson asked me for a statement which I provided by her deadline but I see she did not include in her article so for the readers benefit here it is:
I’d like to thank the voters who chose not to sign the recall petition thus defeating the special interests that started this baseless recall.
This confirms that the will of the people was made known in the 2010 election, when voters said ‘no’ to the unacceptable and unsustainable status quo at GDPUD and ‘yes’ to fiscal responsibility and a new direction by voting for Director Bonnie McLane and myself over two incumbents.
Although we are currently a minority on the board, we remain strong and organized with momentum on our side. I believe in November voters will demonstrate that they want the same by voting for 2 new Directors with the courage to tackle the long-term fiscal challenges at GDPUD and put the best interests of the ratepayers before GDPUD management.
The recall proponents used scare tactics and spread misinformation in order to persuade voters into signing while I have always armed myself with facts. California Law Elections Code Section 18600 clearly describes unlawful signature gathering tactics including providing fraudulent information to persuade and the Penal Code for punishment. For the last 3 months I have been contacted by several members of the public with their personal experiences with these unlawful tactics. This information is currently being prepared for submission to the EDC Grand Jury. The recall proponents have produced a toxic political environment and I hope that punishment for unlawful activities will dissuade future similar tactics and that differences of opinion can be worked out in the boardroom and not by untruthful personal attacks.
I look forward to continuing to speak up for the financial interest of GDPUD’s 3700 ratepayers to the best of my abilities.
As we predicted, most voters with half a brain saw right through the GDPUD GM’s attempt to knock of one of two Directors not in his pocket by lying and not providing any facts to bear Director Otermat is not doing a good job in the boardroom. Most of us are hoping that the village idiots Bobby Villalobos, Michelle Bliss, Mae Harms, Jim and Savana Dunn, Dolores and John Barron, Mike Sallac, Ed Grout, John Plymyer, Debbie West, Gordon Shepherd, Bonnie Neeley and Norm Krizl will do the rest of the Divide citizens a favor and bury their toxic sh_t away and never show their faces again.
Kathy: Congratulations! I am delighted to learn that this travesty against you and Georgetown voters has ended up where it belongs. Your submission to the EDC Grand Jury should prove useful indeed. With any luck one day we will meet, giving me an opportunity to shake your hand. You are a wonderful example.
I just read Kathy’s note re: the petitioners providing false information to persuade a signature. I just sent her details of some whopping lies told to me, my wife and neighbor by Gordon Shepherd. Three witnesses and half a dozen lies told to us in about 10 minutes. I hope these folks do get investigated. We are 3 people that would gladly testify truthfully regarding what was said which we now now is entirely false and can verify it. Several lies leads to no trust at all for these folks. Mr. Villalobos is right – most people didn’t know about the issues but after learning I am not in THEIR court at all. I went from a “Who cares?” attitude to “Stop these Bastards”. I will actively campaign against anyone they endorse. Can’t wait to see who’s running.
I heard through the grapevine in McDonald’s in Cameron Park of all places that Kathy’s recall failed and I had to check it out here. It’s too sad that a strong honest elected official like Kathy poses such a threat to the good old boys that she bears a large target on her back for the less scrupulous people like the GDPUD GM and his cronies. I am thoroughly pleased that someone like Kathy who is correct that she armed herself with facts, has succeeded over those that choose to play dirty with false personal attacks. I heard she was at the Cameron Park Summer Spectacular and tried to find her to give me my support but didn’t succeed so here it is: Kathy, congratulations! I am not in your district but am a student of politics and I am thrilled that people like Bob Villalobos were thoroughly unsuccessful in bringing you down but instead have elevated your reputation to fellow citizens even off the Georgetown Divide. Thank you for sharing your brilliant statement regarding the recall failure! – A Cameron Park Admirer
Getting the Grand Jury involved is a sure-fire way to defuse a toxic political environment, oh yes!
Foaming – what do you think should be done in this toxic situation?
Yes Fuming, you think its better to do nothing than try to correct. Wow. Real ballsy,aren’t you!
Congratulations Ms Otermat. May we the people continue flexing our political muscle. No matter what they say or what they spend, our vote is where the true power resides.
Villalabos says “We’ll spend more time educating people first.” Good idea. Invite everyone to attend GDPUD meetings. That way Kathy can’t mislead them!
Great Job Kathy. Can’t wait to vote for more like you.
A few comments for Bob: 1) you were substantially short, then why did you say on June 13 you were 75% thee and were confident you’d have 2000 by July 4th? Maybe just a little misleading propoganda? 2) You were heartened you got more than the prop 218 protest letters? You forgot to mention that you had TWICE the time (90 vs. 45 days) and if we knew now what we didn’t know then about the GDPUD GM lying, I believe the outcome would have been different. 3) Next time if you want to try something different, don’t use your face or name because you have no credibility buster! Maybe telling the truth would be a nice change. Glad to get that off my chest and so glad for the recall failure.
The way to defuse a toxic political situation is for both sides to get a grip and start acting like adults. But, that’s impossible on the Divide, so carry on, carry on.
But the next time the Grand Jury does something constructive will be the first.
Foaming, you still haven’t said what you would do. Nothing?
No one oversees the GM’s actions or mode of operation, that is the purpose of the board members, who are elected by the rate payers. We TRUST, they VERIFY this is the basis of their position and the only way to make informed, culpable decisions. With the magnitude of financial commitment and physical impact on GDPUD’s future, it is disturbing some of the board members’ willingness to accept verbal interpretations as fact.
Penny B you’re proving my point. Both sides should get a grip and start acting like adults. It won’t happen.