Yorba
Linda voters will have served up a couple of historic firsts in the
Nov. 8 election if the continuing count confirms current tallies.
One,
of course, is the community's first-ever successful recall that
dumped two six-year directors of the Yorba Linda Water District by a
massive 70 percent of the vote. Only one other recall has ever made
the ballot, a failed attempt to oust two city councilmen in 2014.
A
new board majority will include Wayne Miller, elected for four years,
and Brooke Jones and Al Nederhood, who will finish the two years
left on the terms of Robert Kiley and Gary Melton.
They
will be joined by holdover director Phil Hawkins and Andy Hall, who
was elected to a four-year term as the running-mate of Ric Collett,
who was defeated seeking a fourth term.
While
the new majority has vowed to lower rates and return excess payments,
another issue sure to arise is the status of General Manager Marc
Marcantonio and Public Affairs Manager Damon Micalizzi.
Both
were heavily criticized by leaders of the Yorba Linda Taxpayers
Association that launched the recall and endorsed three of the
winners in a bitter, hard-fought contest.
Marcantonio's
three-year “at-will” contract expires Sept. 1, 2017, at which
time he could be released, only collecting unused leave. If he's
fired before that date, he's entitled to a three-month severance or
pay equal to his monthly salary for time remaining on his contract.
His
current yearly pay is $191,675, with no severance needed if he
voluntarily resigns. The pay range for Micalizzi tops out at
$158,155, according to the district's transparency posting.
Another
first, if the vote count trend continues, will be the concurrent
election of two women to the City Council for a first-ever female
majority: newly elected Tara Campbell and Beth Haney and Peggy
Huang, elected in 2014.
Previously,
only six women were among the 32 individuals elected to the council
since incorporation. Fifteen others lost in past elections, and just
once, 2008-2010, have two served simultaneously.
The
first woman elected, Carolyn Ewing in 1972, didn't seek a second
term. Keri Wilson, elected in 2002, Jan Horton, elected in 2006, and
Nancy Rikel, elected in 2008, were all defeated for re-election. Only
Barbara Kiley served two terms, 1992-2000.
Unless
Craig Young reverses a 364-vote election night deficit, his loss
would come after surviving (with Tom Lindsey) that first 2014 recall
election.
Despite
anti-incumbent sentiment in the other contests, voters strongly
supported Placentia-Yorba Linda school trustees in a second-straight
election. Judi Carmona, Carol Downey and Eric Padget and 2014 winners
Carrie Buck and Karin Freeman have served a total 63 years.
And
once again Yorba Linda will have two trustees on the North Orange
County Community College District board, with library commissioner
Ryan Bent joining Jeff Brown on the seven-member panel.