In response to a group of Oakland residents that is seeking to recall her from office, Mayor Jean Quan says, "Oakland is on the move and we are making progress together."
In a statement filed with the Oakland City Clerk shortly before 5 p.m. on Monday, Quan said, "The last thing we need is a divisive and expensive recall election."
The group of residents filed a recall petition against Quan with 71 signatures last week. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters has verified that 59 of the people who signed the petition are registered Oakland voters, meeting the requirement to move forward.
The petition says Quan should be recalled "because she has willfully ignored the city's most pressing issue: public safety" and "is squandering an opportunity to shape the largest development project in Oakland's history - the Oakland Army Base."
It also says "she has exhibited no leadership or insight to develop and implement a sustainable solution to our growing unemployment and depressed economic development."
Once the Oakland City Attorney's Office authorizes the recall campaign, proponents will have 160 days to try to gather the 19,800 signatures, representing 10 percent of the city's voters, that will be needed to place it on the ballot.
In her statement, Quan said, "In 20 years of serving Oakland, my only agenda has been to work hard for our diverse city. I consider it a sacred trust."
She said, "Oaklanders know me as a woman of action, fighting hard and delivering results."
Quan said that in her 294 days as mayor she and her administration have balanced the budget and negotiated pension reforms so she could rehire 36 police officers, secured a federal grant for 25 more officers and held eight town hall meetings with 3,000 residents and a neighborhood safety summit with more than 1,000 participants.
She said she has also developed a coordinated crime reduction plan with other agencies and community partners "to focus on the 100 blocks where 90 percent of violent crime occurs.
In addition, Quan said she has led China trade missions and regional and international meetings to promote the Port of Oakland and has secured an agreement on a $400 million development at the Port that will bring in $200 million in federal and state grants and create 3,000 jobs.
Quan listed a website to fight the recall effort but it isn't yet active.
The site is www.QuanWorksForOakland.com
Jean Quan Respond to Recall Effort
Quan says her city is moving in the right direction.
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