Catherine Alvarez recall, Downey, California (2021-2023)
Downey city council recall |
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Officeholders |
Recall status |
Recall election date |
January 31, 2023 |
Signature requirement |
See also |
Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in California California recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
Voters in Downey, California, recalled City Councilwoman Catherine Alvarez in an election on January 31, 2023.[1][2][3]
A previous attempt to recall Alvarez did not qualify for the ballot.[4] Organizers submitted 4,016 signatures to the Downey city clerk on January 4, 2022.[5] A recall election was not scheduled after 3,419 signatures were verified, which was 35 short of the number required to schedule the election.[6]
Organizers initiated the recall attempt after learning that Alvarez had been convicted in 2014 of lying under oath and welfare fraud. Alvarez replied that the recall effort was motivated by political self-interest.[4]
Recall vote
Catherine Alvarez recall, 2023
Catherine Alvarez lost the Downey City Council District 3 recall election on January 31, 2023.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
✖ | Yes |
90.0
|
3,381 | ||
No |
10.0
|
374 | |||
Total Votes |
3,755 |
|
Recall supporters
Recall organizers said Alvarez was unfit for office because she had been convicted of welfare fraud, lying under oath, and misdemeanor petty theft.[4] The text of the recall petition appears below:[7]
" |
Council Member Alvarez has violated the trust of Downey residents in two major areas. The grounds for the recall are as follows: 1. Ms. Alvarez violated the public trust by failing to disclose her March 12, 2014, felony welfare fraud charge, Penal Code Section 10980(c)(2) and lying under oath Penal Code Section 118(a) charges. In addition, Ms. Alvarez was convicted of misdemeanor petty theft and has a lifetime ban from entering the Michaels store at The Downey Landing. 2. On April 25, 2021 at 6 am, hundreds of people and vendors, including Council member Alvarez, wearing her official City Council jacket, attended an unpermitted event at Apollo Park. There were no proper permits pulled nor did they follow CDC guidelines during the pandemic. Downey Police were called to disburse the crowd several times for disturbing the peace and several municipals code violations. [sic] The event is still under investigation by the Downey Police Department. This shows an abuse of power by an elected official.[8] |
” |
Recall opponents
Alvarez submitted the following response to the city clerk's office.[9]
" |
Since being elected to office, I have worked hard to improve public safety and prevent corruption at city hall. Many Downey families are facing financial hardships caused by the pandemic and I am working hard to ensure that all residents in my district keep their homes as they recover from the crisis. I am being recalled by supporters of the candidate that I defeated last November. They are upset because their candidate lost and refuse to respect YOUR vote. They are attempting to recall me because I was convicted of a misdemeanor in 2014 and for wearing my city council member shirt to a cultural event at a city park. Neither of these disqualifies me from serving in elected office. This frivolous recall election will potentially cost Downey taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a complete waste of taxpayers' dollars. This recall is an attack against your vote. It says that your vote does not matter to the recall proponents. They did not like the way you voted, so they are going to try to change it. Say NO to this waste of public funds. Say NO to the recall. Reach out any time: 562-328-9405 or www.catherine4downey.com.[8] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
First attempt
For a recall election to have been scheduled, organizers needed to collect 3,454 signatures, which represented 20% of voters in Downey City Council District 3.[4] The Downey City Clerk approved the recall petition for circulation in October 2021, and the submission deadline passed January 5, 2022.[10][5]
Organizers submitted 4,016 signatures to the Downey city clerk on January 4, 2022.[5]A recall election was not scheduled after 3,419 signatures were verified, which was 35 short of the number required to schedule the election.[6]
Second attempt
Organizers restarted the recall campaign against Alvarez, serving her with a second notice of intent for the recall on March 22, 2022. They said they submitted 4,210 verified signatures to the city clerk on September 1, 2022.[11][12]
See also
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Mayor Pro Tem Catherine Alvarez will face recall election," September 27, 2022
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Catherine Alvarez recall election set for Jan. 30, 2023," October 12, 2022
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Councilwoman Catherine Alvarez recalled in a landslide," February 2, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Downey Patriot, "Downey councilmember Catherine Alvarez served recall papers," July 14, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Downey Patriot, "Recall organizers say they have enough signatures," January 6, 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Downey Patriot, "Recall efforts against Alvarez fail," February 17, 2022
- ↑ Recall Catherine Alvarez, "Recall Notice," accessed August 6, 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Catherine Alvarez," July 26, 2021
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Catherine Alvarez recall effort officially underway," October 5, 2021
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Mayor Pro Tem Alvarez served recall papers for second time," March 24, 2022
- ↑ The Downey Patriot, "Signatures submitted for second recall attempt on Catherine Alvarez," September 1, 2022
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