Tehachapi News

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A petition notice to recall City Council member Stan Beckham has been filed with the Tehachapi City Clerk, the Tehachapi News has learned.

The notice of intent to circulate the petition was filed by Daniel Shane Reed, a Tehachapi area resident and a Kern County firefighter. Reed's petition states:

“Stan Beckham behaves in an entirely unprofessional manner; thereby creating a hostile environment for everyone involved in city government and the local political process. Stan Beckham has defamed a fellow city council member and then lied about his actions. Stan Beckham continuously disrupts the office work at city hall. Stan Beckham has discussed city council closed session matters in public forum.”

Beckham responded to the recall notice with a written statement to the Tehachapi News:

“I made many promises to the citizens of Tehachapi of the goals I intended to achieve on their behalf when I ran for office. Indeed those goals are posted on my Web site and while I am in my 17th month of office of my four-year term, I have accomplished a number of those goals, particularly in the transparency of our city government but we still have a ling way to go on this one issue. I ran on a platform of change. Change in the way city executives do business with the people and small businesses in Tehachapi. Change in the way the city staff does business with the out-of-town developers. Change in the cronyism and nepotism that the public and myself felt was out of control in our city. Change is difficult for people who have been in office for many years when change effects them, even though this is what was clearly mandated when they voted me into office with a majority of votes against incumbents. This recall is one tool of our democratic process to allow those in power to challenge the one who is trying to reform the “Old Guard.” If the voters of the City of Tehachapi no longer want change and they want to the old way of the city doing business, then they will vote me out in November. That is not only their choice, but also their right.”

Notice of intent to circulate the recall petition was posted in the Public Notices section of the April 30 edition of the  News and was formally filed with the city clerk on the morning of April 30.

According to the county election board, signatures on the filing must be confirmed prior to final acceptance and circulation of a recall petition.

The recall petition must contain signatures equal to 25 percent of the registered voters in the City of Tehachapi. Based on current information available from the Kern County Elections Division that number is 838 registered voters.