A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge has sided with the organizers of a recall effort against three members of the Grover Beach City Council, allowing one of the campaigns to move forward.
On Thursday, the judge ruled that the city had violated election law when it denied six different versions of recall petitions against City Councilmembers Dan Rushing, Zach Zimmerman, and Mayor Karen Bright.
City Clerk Wendi Simms denied the petitions based on what she said was inaccurate content. But under a 2023 law, disputes over the accuracy of recall petition content must go before a court. The inaccuracies cannot be used by the city to dismiss a petition unilaterally before filing a writ of mandate.
The court’s ruling came too late for the recall campaigns against Bright and Zimmerman because they are both up for re-election this year. However, the recall against Rushing can move forward.
The organization behind the recall effort is GroverH20. The group formed in response to a water rate hike that was approved last year in a 3-2 by the city council. The increase — which was supported by Bright, Zimmerman, and Rushing — outraged many members of the community. The city council has since voted to reduce the increase.
It’s not clear whether Rushing’s recall will appear on the ballot this November. GroverH20 organizers say they would have to move very quickly to have it ready by fall.