Latest results show voters overwhelmingly support recall of two Los Banos council members
Voters in Los Banos have overwhelming voted yes to recall two city council members according to the latest election results released Friday morning.
Petitions for local recall have been submitted for the removal of Los Banos District 2 City Council member Douglas Begonia Jr., and Los Banos District 3 City Council member Brett Jones. As of Friday morning, the Merced County Elections office has recorded 1,352 yes votes or 80.86% against 320 no votes or 19.14% of the total 1,672 votes cast in favor of recalling District 2 council member Begonia Jr.
Election results show 1,344 yes votes or 72.85% against 501 no votes of 27.15% of the total 1,845 votes cast in favor of recalling District 3 council member Jones.
Both petitions include the names of 10 proponents seeking their removal from the council on multiple grounds.
The petition for recall filed for Begonia Jr. claims he broke faith with District 2 residents and the City of Los Banos by voting to rehire previously fired city manager Josh Pinheiro, give him a $20,000 raise, $6,000 in vehicle and phone allowance as well as a 4% annual raises.
Although Pinheiro was not directly named in the petition in February 2023, the council voted to rehire him in a 4-1 vote with Deborah Lewis the lone dissenting voice.
The petitions also claim both council members supported the settlement that paid Pinheiro $1.8 million. One of the petitions stated the $1.8 million payment was to “settle claims already rejected by the city’s insurer.” Other claims made in the petitions include attempts to change the rules for the city council to require a 5-0 vote in order to fire the city manager, effectively tying the hands of future councils.
Begonia Jr. is also accused in the petition, of voting to spend taxpayer money on what the petition referred to as “self-serving ballot measures.” One of which would have taken away voters’ right to choose the treasure and city clerk, giving the power to the council, according to the petition. Both council members are accused of attempting to lengthen the term for mayor from two years to four years.
The petition for Jones’ recall accuses him of disparaging conduct during meetings, while the petition for Begonia’s recall accuses him of rigging the system in order to reward his friends.
The petition submitted to recall Jones accuses him of giving a friend one-tenth of the city’s general fund based off a threatening letter and that Jones voted to raise the city manager’s base pay to $215,323 along with annual raises or 4%.
In a written response to the petition for recall, Begonia Jr. called the petition a “carefully orchestrated initiative” which he claims was led by a local developer driven by personal financial motives and claimed that it poses a signification threat to the community’s well-being.
Begonia Jr. goes on to claim the actions by the developer raise concerns and prioritize finical gain over welfare, safety and prosperity of the City ’s residents.
He went on to ask the community for support.
“I stand firm in my resolve to serve you with unwavering dedication and integrity,” said Begonia Jr. in the document. “My sole focus remains on advancing the common good, fostering at thriving community, and safeguarding the interests of all individuals who call Los Banos Home.”
In a written response to the petition for recall, Jones stated that the recall against him is not driven by genuine concerns for the community, rather it is a “calculated tactic” by a local developer.
He claimed the developer is seeking to bypass necessary standards and accountability measures and said the developer has a “vested interest in uncontrolled growth.” Jones urged voters so see through what he called deceptive tactics.
“To be clear, my primary responsibility is to the well-being of Los Banos and its residents, not to the developer’s financial interests,” said Jones in the document. “My duty is to ensure the safety, prosperity, and quality of life for all our community, and I remain committed to upholding this responsibility.”
Neither Begonia Jr. nor Jones responded to the Merced Sun-Star’s requests for comment.
According to Merced County Registrar of Voters Melvin Levey, in order for the petition for recall to be placed on the ballot, signatures from 25% of the registered voters in that district were required. If the recall is successful, a vacancy would occur on the city council and it would be up to that city council to determine how it goes about filling the vacancy should one occur.
“Different cities have different procedures on how they can choose to fill, whether they want to vote to appoint a successor or call for an election to fill those,” said Levey.
According to the Merced County Elections Office, the next voting results update is expected to be released no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 14.