MacLean Recall Petition Gets City Clerk’s Approval
Press Release

Mission Viejo, CA, March 19, 2009 – On March 18, Mission Viejo City Clerk Karen Hamman approved the petition to recall Councilman Lance MacLean. Hamman addressed her March 18 letter to one of the recall proponents, Dale Tyler, stating the petition format meets the requirements of the Elections Code as to form and wording. Hamman had rejected the original proposed petition on March 4 and asked for minor revisions. Tyler submitted the second version on March 9.

In her letter to Tyler, Hamman wrote, “Pursuant to Elections Code Section 11220, the petition shall be filed with the City Clerk’s office no later than 160 days from March 18, 2009. Therefore, the petition shall be filed with my office no later than the close of normal office hours on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.”

Hamman stated that the petition must be signed by at least 15 percent of the city’s 62,621 registered voters to qualify for a recall election. The minimum number needed is 9,393 verified signatures.

One of the recall proponents, Lisa De Paul-Snyder, responded to the news by saying she would begin getting signatures immediately. She said, “This has been a long time coming.  MacLean has consistently demonstrated he’s unfit for office. He campaigned to 'restore public trust through open, accessible and responsive city government.’ He instead has championed pointless expenditures, which are relentlessly promoted through costly, taxpayer-funded public relations campaigns. MacLean has given us pro-developer, anti-resident rhetoric, proposals and voting.”

Recall proponent Beverly Cruse agreed with De Paul-Snyder’s assessment that the recall is long overdue. Cruse added, “MacLean’s performance is far below what I expect from a representative of the people, and he continues giving residents more reasons to recall him.”

Hamman’s approval of the petition was the final step of legal requirements proponents had to meet prior to gathering signatures. On Feb. 2, MacLean was served with notice that 51 Mission Viejo residents were initiating a recall to remove him from the council. A public notice was published in the Feb. 13 Orange County Register, and MacLean filed an answer to the notice. The proponents’ grounds for the recall as well as MacLean’s answer are included in the petition.

Many of those who initiated the action as proponents or supporters of the recall helped MacLean win a council seat in 2002. They said he campaigned on principles of open government and fiscal responsibility but changed dramatically after he was elected.