Two Santa Cruz City Council members up for recall on the primary ballot
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) A controversial question that could remove two Santa Cruz City Council members from office is set to appear on the primary ballot.
It is a question that is dividing Santa Cruz residents: Should council members Drew Glover and Chris Krohn be recalled, or removed from office?
"Yes, council members Krohn and Glover should be recalled," said Lynn Renshaw with Santa Cruz Together.
"No, the recall is wrong," said John Hall with the Stop Santa Cruz Recalls Steering Committee.
One of the major complaints surrounding the recall is that Krohn and Glover were the loudest voices against the closure of the Ross homeless camp.
"Fire Chief, Police Chief, County Health officer came out and said it was a hazard. It remained open for a couple months after that. Five people died there... The way they went about that was problematic," Renshaw said.
But the Stop the Santa Cruz Recalls campaign supports Glover and Krohn's efforts to find more permanent solutions for people living at the camp.
"In order to close the Ross Camp, we should have had a better solution for the people who were there rather than pushing them onto the streets," Hall said.
Recall supporters also have concerns over allegations of workplace misconduct. In August, an independent investigator found that Glover and Krohn violated the city's 'Respectful Workplace Conduct Policy'in two of several allegations levied against them.
"As a woman, I'm here because I believe the women, and there are also other witnesses that have come forward," Renshaw said.
But the Stop the Santa Cruz Recalls campaign says this is really about policy differences.
"Between the policy differences and the lack of any basis in behavior, you just don't have it amount to a reason to recall two people who are doing the city's business," Hall said.
Council members Glover and Krohn did not respond to our request for comment, but posted a video about the recall to Facebook.
"I represent students. I represent people experiencing homelessness, and the drive to push me out of office is directly associated with trying to remove that representation from the council," Glover said in the video.
"This recall came about as a result of political differences, and political differences are settled in regular elections," Krohn said in the video.
The decision is ultimately up to Santa Cruz voters on the March 3 primary ballot. The ballot will list two questions for each person. The first question will ask if the council member should be recalled, and the second question will ask which candidate should fill their position if recalled.
