LEMON GROVE MAYORAL RECALL FAILS TO GET ENOUGH VALIDATED SIGNATURES, BUT ORGANIZER SAYS HE’LL TRY AGAIN

By Miriam Raftery

April 26, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – On April 15, a notice of intent to recall Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow (photo,left) was served by resident Ken King. 

But the next day, the City Clerk’s office notified King that the notice was rejected because it did not have enough valid signatures, printed names and addresses.

In a letter to King, City Clerk Joel Pablo advised King that he can resubmit the notice once those defects are addressed, as well as adding Elections Code 11023 provisions which describe the Mayor’s right to file an answer.

On social media, King has indicated that he will again collect signatures in hopes of resubmitting the recall notice. He needs 60 valid signatures for the recall notice to be submitted. If accepted, the next step is to gather at least 3,400 signatures citywide, or 20%of the city’s population of 17,030 people.

Because Lemon Grove holds citywide elections, the recall process is more daunting than in a city such as El Cajon, which holds district elections and requires far fewer signatures to put a recall on the ballot.

In announcing the recall effort at the City Council session on April 15, King made clear that his motivation is the Mayor’s early support of a San Diego County plan to build tiny homes to temporarily accomdate homeless people at a site owned by CalTrans on Troy Street. The City has no vote on the matter, but did hold a public meeting on the issue months after constituents asked for one.  Some residents have also urged the City to explore legal action against the County.

At the April 15 Council meeting, King told Mayor Snow, “We talked to you guys about the tiny homes project. You kept pushing off...We’re done being pushed off.”

It’s unclear how much support King has for his recall effort, but opposition has also emerged.

Councilmember Jennifer Mendoza, a Democrat, as is Snow, is urging voters to oppose the recall.  “Whether you support or oppose a temporary homeless shelter in Lemon Grove, or whether you support or disagree with the Mayor, is not the issue,” she posted on Facebook. “A recall will not resolve either of these issues. A recall will only further divide our community and cost our city hundreds of thousands of dollars that could otherwise be spent on streets, sidewalks, storm drains and parks.”

Mendoza suggests that former Councilmember Liana LeBaron, who lost reelection, is behind the recall, though it's unclear if this is the case.  She says the new Council has been “healing old wounds and working together to move our city forward.”