Effort to recall Livingston mayor, 3 council members falls short of required signatures

Efforts long-underway to remove four of Livingston’s five-member City Council came to a close Thursday, as the Merced County Registrar of Voters counted an insufficient number of signatures needed to push the recall process to the next step.

Petitions supporting the recall of Livingston Mayor Juan Aguilar, Mayor Pro Tem Raul Garcia, Councilmember Maria Soto and Councilmember Gagandeep Kang ultimately garnered 1,386, 1,347, 1,393 and 1,379 sufficient signatures, respectively.

The minimum count necessary for a recall election to take place was 1,483, according to Registrar of Voters Darlene Ingersoll.

Although proponents gathered more than 1,800 signatures to recall each council member, several hundred were deemed insufficient and excluded from the final accepted tally. Some signatures were thrown out due to being duplicates.

Aguilar had only recently began his first term as Livingston’s mayor when he and three of his colleagues at the dais were served with recall papers in May.

The mayor told the Sun-Star at the time, and again in December, that he was confident he had ample support from the community to maintain his elected seat. Aguilar’s prediction proved true.

“(Recall proponents) lied about us, and tried to bully us in the most despicable and disrespectful ways because they didn’t like the positive change we have brought to Livingston,” Aguilar said in a statement sent to the Sun-Star Tuesday.

“We didn’t fight back because we knew the residents knew us, and would see through all their lies and deception. It’s now time to come together and continue to build a better Livingston for all of us.”

While disappointed that the number of sufficient signatures fell short, recall proponents say the process created momentum in the Livingston community that could lead to positive change.

“We created some waves with the recall, and I feel that a lot of residents are now more involved in our local government,” Livingston resident and recall proponent Leticia Vasquez told the Sun-Star. “That is what we wanted.”

Although the recall process is over, Vasquez said she and the Livingston community will continue to ask questions and demand accountability from their elected officials.

The next round of local elections, where the mayoral seat and some city council positions will be on the ballot, will offer another opportunity for Livingston residents to make their voices heard, she said.

“I hope residents pay attention and we all make a better choice when deciding and voting for our elected officials,” Vasquez said.

Livingston turmoil surrounds recall

The campaign to remove a majority of Livingston City Council members mid-term was initiated in May following turmoil in the city that has since continued to unravel.

Only Councilmember Jose Moran, himself a proponent of the campaign, was excluded from the recall effort.

The recall was just one of many recent examples of apparent political divide in Livingston.

Protests broke out at City Hall late last year after the news that Livingston’s police chief, just six months into the job, was abruptly put on administrative leave just a month before his retirement. A Merced County Sheriff’s lieutenant is acting as chief in the interim.

Some community members said the chief’s unexplained exit mirrored the termination of former Livingston City Manager Jose Ramirez in July.

In December, Ramirez filed a government tort claim against his former employer that alleged bribery and corruption by several city officials.

Ramirez was let go by the City Council via a 4-1 vote without explanation, despite lengthy testimonies of support from dozens of Livingston residents — including some high-ranking Merced County officials. Protesters later gathered outside City Hall to support Ramirez and demand answers, which were never formally received.

The next month, Moran posted a YouTube video with information that he believes gives context to many of the recent incidents in Livingston. Moran accused Councilmember Kang and his brother, Livingston Police Sgt. Wapinder Kang, of encouraging him in June 2020 to run for city clerk during the November 2020 election — with the promise of over 1,000 votes guaranteed.

One month earlier, Sgt. Kang was arrested and put on leave due to his alleged involvement in filing a false police report to cover for another law enforcement officer.

The Merced County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that it was investigating potential Livingston voting fraud in conjunction with the Secretary of State’s Office.