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Hill overtaking Ferrara in A.G. mayor race

November 6, 2014
Mayor Tony Ferrera

Mayor Tony Ferrara

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

A spectacular political upset may be brewing in the colorful race for the mayor’s seat in the village of Arroyo Grande, with write-in candidate Jim Hill gaining substantial ground Thursday on longtime incumbent Tony Ferrara as county election officials continued counting additional ballots.

Ferrara’s initial 9-point lead, fueled by early mail-in tallies, plummeted overnight to 3.5 percentage points, with 800 more ballots to be counted, probably by the end of Friday’s work day. Hill collected more than twice as many new votes as Ferrara today.

Another 1,216 votes are slated to be counted, most by Friday at 5 p.m.

If needed, 717 additional ballots — either left blank by the voter, or with the write-in candidate’s name written, but without the oval blackened — would finally be counted.

Ferrara’s advantage has been eroding ever since the opening of polls Tuesday morning. At today’s end of counting, he claimed 2,545 votes, or 51.79 percent, and Hill’s total had climbed to 2,369 or 48.21 percent. The candidates now are separated by only 176 votes.

After avoiding the media for days following the election, Ferrara finally contacted KSBY with the following statement, in which he blamed reporters, radio personalities, city residents and police, and a lack of communication for what he called “the results of the election.”

“The results of the election have clearly indicated a need for the City and the Community to find ways to better communicate. It has also exposed the disconnects that can often occur when people believe everything they read on an internet site or hear on talk radio. It is troubling when no attempt is made by reasonable people to verify false assertions made through these media. Hopefully, we at the City can open the door wider at City Hall for the community to feel comfortable and welcomed to do so in the future. We will also be welcoming a new Council member and this will provide an opportunity for all of us to share new ideas about the future of the City and also exploring more opportunities for comprehensive communication and outreach for the community.” (Tony Ferrara)

Hill’s brief but fast-moving campaign evolved from community dissatisfaction with the handling of a July 3 City Hall incident in which City Manager Steve Adams and a subordinate employee, Teresa McClish, the city’s community development director, were found near midnight in Adams’ darkened office by police responding to an emergency call.

Citizens accused Ferrara and the rest of the council with fashioning a cover-up of the incident — and then suggesting that responding police officers were lying about the circumstances to further ongoing contract negotiations.

Ferrara is the newly elected president of the powerful League of California Cities, a post he’d have to vacate if he loses to Hill.

Also, next Tuesday’s regularly scheduled city council meeting has been cancelled.


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This is from the County Clerks Office


CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE MAYOR

Polling VBM Total

Number of Precincts 12 0 12

Precincts Reporting 12 0 12 100.0 %

Vote For 1 1 1

Ballots Cast (Reg. Voters 10945) 1699 5073 6772 61.9 %

Total Votes 1461 4374 5835

Times Blank Voted 238 695 933

Times Over Voted 0 4 4

Number Of Under Votes 0 0 0

TONY FERRARA 608 2288 2896 49.63%

Write-in Votes 853 2086 2939 50.37%


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300 votes left, it can only get better……there is a new sheriff…..errrrrr….Mayor in town!


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That’s what I’m looking for!!!


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Write in is 42 votes ahead of Ferrara right now going into the weekend.


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We’ll sing in the sunshine,

We’ll laugh every day,

We’ll sing in the sunshine,

When Tony’s on his way.


We would never vote for him,

The cost of Arroyo’s too dear.

But Jim is who we wrote in,

We hope he stays for years.


And we can sing in the sunshine,

We’ll laugh everyday,

We’ll sing in the sunshine,

When Tony’s on his way.


We’ll look to Jim each work day

No more city hall at night

Or back city deals, that never come to light

Tony will soon be out of sight.


But we can sing in the sunshine,

We’ll laugh everyday,

We’ll sing in the sunshine,

When Tony’s on his way


And we’ll sing in the sunshine,

We’ll laugh everyday,

We’ll sing in the sunshine,

When Tony’s on his way.


And when his term has ended,

And he has gone away,

When Jim is our new Mayor

This is what we’ll say:


We sang in the sunshine,

You know we laughed everyday,

We sang in the sunshine,

Then she went on her way.


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The Mayor’s a real nowhere man

Sitting in his nowhere land

Making all his nowhere plans for nobody


Doesn’t have a point of view

But we all know where he’s going to

It’s so good he’s not like you and me?

Nowhere man please listen

You don’t know what you’re missing

Nowhere man, soon Jim will be in command


You’re blind as you can be

Just see what you want to see

Nowhere man, can you see us at all

Nowhere man don’t worry

You’ll be gone in one big hurry

Leave it all for Jim to fix


You’re a real nowhere man

Sitting in your nowhere land

Making all your nowhere plans for nobody

Making all your nowhere plans for nobody

Making all your nowhere plans for nobody


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I love it Pelican!

Can I buy the album?


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Pelican will own the soundtrack for the upcoming docudrama

“The trouble with Tea Parties!”


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No, no…lol. Once Jim is seated as Mayor I will publish a list of credits of all the original song writers.


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I can see it now “Pelican’s Greatest Hits” at the AG Walmart discount bin.


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YOu just get better and better


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People of goodwill (not Mary Malone) must now realize that the Mayor has severe

emotional problems that guide his conduct. He is not a bad man.


The opponents of the Mayor have been heard and must now look to the future. The City of

Arroyo Grande must have competent elected public officials. If Jim Hill is elected we move forward with optimism to restore our City and its pride. If the Mayor is reelected

there is absolutely no choice but to institute his recall. He cannot govern.


The process of instituting a recall is set forth in numerous state codes that contain very

precise timelines and procedures under which the process must occur.

In a nut shell a recall is a special election where the proponents of the recall in 200 words

or less state the reasons why the public official should be removed from office. They

offer a candidate that they select to run against the incumbent in the recall election. Those who wish the incumbent to remain in office set forth their own statement as to why the

incumbent should stay in office.


In the case of Arroyo Grande with 10,953 registered voters 20% or a minimum of 2,190

of those voters would need to sign the recall petition before it could be submitted for

signature verification and a date is set for the election. The time allowed to gather the

signatures is defined in the state codes.


The recall petition cannot be filed until the subject of the recall has been in office for 90

days. Under the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code the newly elected mayor takes office

four Tuesdays from the date of the election. This means that there are now

four months prior to the filing of the petition for the proponents of the recall to get a

head start lining up voters to sign the petition when it becomes available.


Typically a recall committee is organized to guide the process.In the case of Arroyo

Grande that committee would likely be elected at a general meeting open to the public.

Those who were most active in the campaign to elect Jim Hill would be likely choices to

lead the committee. The committee would comply with the laws governing the recall,

organize volunteers, raise money for a campaign and prepare for the recall election.

All this should be done in a professional and deliberate manner and seek to include

as many residents as possible with regular noticed meetings.


The Mayor can be successfully recalled if the proponents of the recall

maintain the current momentum in opposition to the Mayor and organize immediately

if the Mayor is reelected. It is not a done deal and a lot of hard work and effort

will be needed. There is little doubt at this time that the Mayor will organize a

campaign to fight the recall and remain in office. He still has his supporters.

Like or Dislike:


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QUOTING RETIRED POLICEMAN: “People of goodwill (not Mary MaloneM/b>)…”


———–


Hey, I got a shout-out!


To show my thanks, I’ll post my Haiku here.


———–


Hiding in the dark

Trembling at the truth

That’s our Tony


Late Autumn moon shines

As Tony stumbles and falls

Revenge of the voters


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Your voice is heard and respected, Mary Malone. This is ugly stuff — and the citizens know that there is more to come as a result of the police in their condemnation of both Ferrara and Adams in the police disclosures during the reinterview process. They didn’t mince words in both of their condemnations of Ferrara and Adams!


Tony is fighting for his political life — and let’s not kid ourselves — this is a horrid, nasty business. If there is planning for a recall — let’s get on with it. Because the recall is not based on Hill losing — it is based on the travesty of the incident and its cover up.


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Way to go MaryMalone, I’ve never got a shout out, what’s your secret?


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Its my wild Irish ways, I guess. That and my sunny disposition.


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For today let’s relish this, oh sooooo close race.

We will deal with reality closer to 5pm and then after.

But we have worked our butts off to enjoy these hopeful, wishful, pinch me, I’m dreaming, can this really be happening, history making moments!


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are there any updates on the AG mayoral race??????


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Not until after 4 at the earliest.


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RATS.


——————-


Waiting for the count

Is a pain in the kiester

Oh! When will it end?


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Fingers crossed….at 5!


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otis owes me drinks


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That’s right! Didn’t he say if Hill won the drinks were on him?


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Damn he did at McClintocks. I guess we will get that party before Thanksgiving if the COunty CLerk has her way.


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No I don’t think he owes you a drink, you did not make a stand and hold to it. You wobbled all over the fence.


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It sure sounds like “dogeatdog” knows who AAADADDYO is…


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You can find him in the Mayberry Jail.


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So I see this “LeAnn” troublemaker has showed up. Please review the “thumbs up/down” guidelines and adhere to the “crazy fringe people” rule of only slowly raising your hand waving it politely back and forth to show your support.


If you haven’t already filled out a speaker sleep……well…..show up for the party a little earlier next time.


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Oh Big Tony—you are funny—and yes, I am a trouble-maker. Ask anyone who knows me and they will confirm this as factual. Oh, by the way, I am not filling out any more damn speaker slips…..but I will be heard.


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The City Council meeting was cancel because of Veterans Day.


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I am so glad they just figured out now that Veterans day is Nov 11th, guess at the last council meeting they had not checked a calendar and just told everyone then that there would be no meeting at the next scheduled time. Certainly couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the mayor is fighting for his job.


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Yes it was; however, the fact is they should be publishing a yearly calendar so silly cancellations are not misconstrued.


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Well he talked big yesterday, but boy you oughta see him now

He bragged too long that the fringe was wrong

That Jim was just another guy

But he’ll say more when he whisper’s his goodbye

He was a big man yesterday but boy you oughta see him now


He said that he didn’t want to listen to you

He didn’t need you anyhow

He said he didn’t need you then

But boy you oughta see me now


Those bragging words that he didn’t lie

Of that there was no doubt

So empty is he that half his life’s walked out

Half his life left him on Tuesday

And boy you oughta see him now


He couldn’t see it yesterday

But now he knows it’s true

Soon Jim will be replacing you


He was a big man yesterday but boy you oughta see him now

If you could only see him now

You should see him now


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This is better than Bush-Gore “hanging chads” in Florida.


Still an uphill battle for Jim Hill if he’s 176 behind with 800 uncounted ballots, he’ll need 61% of the 800 to win by 2 votes. Good luck Jim!


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there are over 1,200 uncounted ballots, clerk can only count about 800 per day with the staff they have. That detail was a little clouded. I am predicting a new Mayor for AG by 5pm.


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The 800+ uncounted ballots are those with no bubble filled in for Mayor.

There will be NO votes for Tony among these.

There may be votes for Jim, if his name was written, but the bubble left blank.

These ballots will not be looked at unless needed.


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Pristine vote bubbles

Are driving me loony-tune

It is a short drive.


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What constitutes needed????


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According to what I’ve read, the clerk has no intention of looking at those bubbleless ballots until after the final tally is reported and only then if someone wants to pay for a recount. Somehow it just doesn’t seem right that some voters may be disenfranchised over a technical oversight when their true intentions would be so easy to determine – they wrote a name on the line or they didn’t.


The League of Women Voters filed suit in San Diego in 2004 seeking to compel the clerk to count write in ballots when the bubble wasn’t filled in but that local court ruled against them.


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Fundraiser or bust!


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i believe that, if after all the other votes have been counted and Jim were to be a few shy–these would be looked at


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It would have been simpler if he had changed his name to Jim Blank Bubble.


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Whow……it is amazing that these “intelligent” residents are so quick to condem!


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Yes it is Better then Bush V Gore, I hope the hell Tony is not in the back room of the county tearing up Ballots… He is Crazy enough I’m sure of it!!


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