Arcadia residents upset with a recent censure against current Mayor Sharon Kwan that was led by Councilman David Fu launched a campaign Monday to remove him from office.
A petition signed by 81 residents seeks approval from city and county authorities to begin collecting signatures for a recall election.
Fu is a first-term council member elected in November 2024 and represents Council District 1. The district extends northward from Duarte Road into hillside communities above Foothill Boulevard, with Santa Anita and North Fifth avenues serving as western and eastern borders.
Recall proponents say their effort stems from Fu’s alleged “pattern of retaliation, misuse of authority, fiscal recklessness, and disregard for the City Charter,” according to a notice of intent submitted Monday.
At the Aug. 19 council meeting, Fu initiated efforts to censure and remove Kwan.
According to recall proponents, the next day Kwan was scheduled to meet with an investigator regarding a sexual harassment complaint she filed against Fu.
“The timing raises serious concerns of retaliation and abuse of power,” the notice document states.
Residents seeking Fu’s removal contend he “brought accusations against the Mayor despite no proof and no public demand for a censure.”
Fu along with councilmen Paul Cheng and Dr. Michael Cao then called for a special meeting on Aug. 26, which recall proponents say suggests possible Brown Act violations. The state’s Brown Act prohibits officials from making decisions outside a public hearing.
“These actions undermine transparency and public trust,” according to Monday’s recall notice.
“Fu also attempted to remove the Mayor from office despite being advised by legal counsel that such action is prohibited under the Arcadia City Charter,” recall proponents argued. “Residents are now suing the city to overturn his attempt, which could cost taxpayers significantly.
“His actions diverted staff time, delayed city business, exposed the city to litigation, and reflect fiscally reckless behavior that harms residents,” the notice concluded. “This conduct create division and erodes confidence in local government. Voters deserve leadership that follows the law and puts community first.”
Fu, Kwan, the three other council members did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“The City does not have a comment on the matter other than we are committed to conducting a process that is fair, transparent, and in accordance with all applicable laws,” city spokeswoman Justine Bruno said in an email.
Former Councilwoman and Mayor April Verlato, who represented District 1 for eight years, is leading the recall effort. She was termed out of office last year and unsuccessfully ran for Congress against longtime Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena.
In a mass email about the latest recall notice — two other notice petitions starting last month have been submitted to the City Clerk — Verlato shared a document from City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto detailing the recall process that says Verlato served the city with notice to circulate a petition demanding a recall election.
Recall procedures allows the subject of the recall to submit a 200-word statement to be included with districtwide petition documents.
After the city clerk certifies the recall notice, the Los Angeles County voter registrar’s office must verify that at least 60 of the 81 signatures are valid.
“The Registrar would look at ensuring the signatures match as well as ensuring that addresses are the same as those on file for that voter,” according to the city manager’s office. “All signatures must come from District 1 residents who are properly registered to vote in the District.”
The city manager’s office estimates 25% of the 6,305 registered voters in the district — approximately 1,576 residents — would need to sign the recall petition within 90 days to force a special election.
The City Council must call an election within 88-125 days after the city clerk certifies enough valid signatures have been collected. The closest countywide election would be the June 2 primary, and the City Council would need to schedule the election by March 6.
“Otherwise, the City Council would need to pay for a stand alone election within the required timeframe,” according to Lazzaretto’s memo to the council. “We don’t have
“A good estimate for the cost of a consolidated election or a stand alone election” wasn’t available, but that information was forthcoming from the county, according to Lazzaretto’s memo to the council. He said a consolidated election would be significantly less expensive — “4-5 times cheaper depending on what else might be going on in the County at that time. The general range could be as low as $10,000 to more than $75,000.”
If enough voters sign the recall petition and remove Fu, the remaining council members would either appoint a replacement to fulfill the remainder of the term, or would call a special election to fill the seat. The council could also make interim appointment, then call an election for the remainder of the term.
Residents filed a lawsuit asking a court to overturn the censure action against Kwan that the City Council approved with 4-1 votes in late August and early September.
