Several hundred residents are likely to decide the future of who will serve on the South ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ City Council as voters decide in a recall election Tuesday, March 13.
As of Monday, 240 residents had returned their mail-in ballots in a recall effort to oust South ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mayor Ildefonso Green and Councilmen Rufino Cantu, Robert Larribas and Carlos Romo.
The one-square-mile city has just under 2,000 registered voters, according to voting records. The election is being handled as a mail-in ballot.
Leading the recall effort is Rita Rogers, a former write-in City Council candidate with close ties to the former owner of the Spanish Trail Motel, Dennis Luttrell.
Rogers and the other candidates — former Mayor Paul Diaz, Harman Lopez and Roberto Teso — have been openly critical of Green and his allies on the council, complaining the council reduced payments to the pension system, cut firefighter positions and emptied the city’s reserve fund to address an anticipated $650,000 shortfall.
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Teso is challenging Green, while Diaz is running against Larribas, Lopez is squaring off against Romo and Rogers faces Cantu.
Green’s term ends in November 2018, although the recall election could end his tenure early. The other councilmen challenged by the recall have all been recently elected and have years left in their terms.
Who will serve as mayor is decided after the election, chosen by a council majority, rather than voters.
Residents who still have their mail-in ballots should drop them off in South ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ at the John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. Sixth Ave., between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Replacement ballots will be available at the center and at the Pima County Recorder’s Office, 240 N. Stone Ave.
