A recall effort was initiated this week against Los Angeles Councilman Paul Krekorian by several residents dissatisfied with his handling of development issues, including the fate of a Valley Village home where Marilyn Monroe once lived.
Krekorian represents the 2nd Council District, which includes Valley Village, North Hollywood and Studio City.
Recall proponents allege the councilman has “demonstrated a marked bias favoring outside business interests over community sensibilities and community requests.”
Thompson dismissed this allegation as “simply not true.”
“The councilman has worked very closely and successfully with the community to fight against overdevelopment and mansionization,” including placing protecting areas against oversized homes in the Valley Village neighborhood, Thompson said.
Donna Gooley, one of the five official proponents, said the “catalyst” for her to join the recall effort was the demolition of a former home of Marilyn Monroe.
The city had deemed the property historically and culturally insignificant, and denied an appeal from members of the community who wanted to preserve it.
Gooley said the home was on a street that was excluded from historic status designation, a move that has allowed properties to be sold off for “major developments.”
When asked how she became involved in the recall effort, Gooley said she was approached by a person who “prefers to remain anonymous.”
The four other proponents listed on the notice are Jed Fuchs, Goran Nicola Lukic, Pamela D. Lippert and JoAnn D. Erickson.
Krekorian said in a statement that he was re-elected “less than a year ago” with 75 percent of the vote, and said he is “confident that the vast majority of my constituents approve of what we’ve accomplished together in the San Fernando Valley.”
“In any district with a quarter million people, there will always be a few disaffected and unhappy individuals, but I’ll continue to work hard every day to represent the interests and the values of the people of the 2nd District,” Krekorian said.
Horacio Arroyo, a spokesman for the city clerk, said a copy of the notice sent to Krekorian must also be submitted to the City Clerk’s office by Monday so that the proponents and their signatures could be verified as registered voters who live in the district.
Arroyo said the City Clerk’s office has not received the notice as of this afternoon.
Proponents also must publish the notice in a newspaper within two weeks of Krekorian receiving it, he said.
Once the initial steps are completed, the proponents can begin gathering signatures to petition for a special recall election to be held.
The proponents must collect 18,000 signatures from registered voters, or 15 percent of the voters in the district, in order to hold a recall election targeting Krekorian.
In the last 10 years, no group have successfully scheduled a recall, with all four attempts during that time failing, Arroyo said.
Groups have begun petitioning, but failed to turn in the required number of signatures in efforts initiated against Los Angeles Unified School Board member Mike Lansing in 2006, City Councilman Jack Weiss in 2007, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2010 and Los Angeles Unified School District board member Monica Garcia in 2012, according to Arroyo.
— City News Service