Lakeside fire board members targets of recall drive

Union Tribune (2010-02-27) Anne Krueger

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More Info: Lakeside Fire Board

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

LAKESIDE — Two members of the Lakeside Fire Protection District’s board of directors were notified this week that they’ve been targeted in a recall effort sought by residents unhappy with their decision to terminate the department’s former chief.

The recall notice was handed to board members Nick Johnson and Jim Bingham at a district meeting Tuesday night. A recall is not being sought against a third board member, Pete Liebig, because his seat is up for election in November. Johnson and Bingham’s terms end in 2012.

The recall notice was given to the three board members after they denied a request to resign.

The effort is being led by members of Lakeside First, a group formed after the Jan. 16 firing of Chief Mark Baker. The board has not said why Baker, who was chief for more than five years, was dismissed except to say that they had lost confidence in him. Baker’s supporters say the action was forced by the firefighters union, which has been unhappy with Baker’s efforts to cut a budget deficit.

Bob Robeson, a spokesman for Lakeside First, said the group will begin gathering signatures for the ballot measure in about two weeks. The group is seeking to place the recall on the November ballot and would need to gather signatures from at least 20 percent of the district’s 32,433 registered voters.

Anne Krueger