Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Signature gatherers are knocking on doors across Petaluma’s District 1, asking residents to sign a petition to recall their own representative, City Council member Janice Cader Thompson, in an effort the city is calling costly, divisive and unwarranted. At its upcoming meeting Monday night, the Petaluma City Council was scheduled to consider a resolution opposing the recall, stating that it is “not aware of any misconduct by any council member that would warrant engaging in the recall process and disrupting the city’s work.” A related staff report outlines how the process has already burdened city resources, citing staff time spent processing recall filings and responding to inquiries. Should the effort qualify for a ballot, additional costs to the city are estimated by the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters to be somewhere between $22,312 and $95,625, depending on whether the recall appears in a special election or is consolidated with a regular election. The next regular election is in November 2026, when Cader Thompson’s term expires and she would have to run for reelection anyway. The city gave its approval to petition on Sept. 15, at which point petitioners had 90 days, or until Dec. 14, to gather 1,594 valid signatures – 25% of the total number of registered voters in District 1 at that time according to county data – to force a recall election. If they succeed, the measure will be placed on a future ballot, and voters in District 1 must then decide whether or not to remove Cader Thompson by a majority vote. The recall began with John Hanania, a District 3 resident and longtime critic of city government who first announced the effort during a July council meeting, where he accused Cader Thompson of showing “a pattern of dismissive conduct during public meetings” and “disregard for both colleagues and community input.” Because he does not live in District 1 – which runs northwest along each side of Highway 101 – Hanania was required by city officials to find a district resident to serve as the official recall proponent. The city approved the petition with Ed Anzore, a District 1 resident, in that role. Hanania told the Argus-Courier last week that he’s now focused on gathering signatures. “There’s several people on the team,” he said, adding that they aim to collect “twice the amount that’s needed.” He declined to say how many signatures have been collected so far. He described the effort as a community-driven recall but declined to identify other organizers or supporters, saying only that he’s “not the one who’s behind it all.” None of what he’s doing, he said, is personal: “This is not a vendetta. This is not revenge (on) Janice.” Asked why Cader Thompson – elected in 2022 with 69% of the vote – should be removed now, Hanania pointed to a small number of incidents he said show she is unfit for office. One, captured on video, is a moment last fall when Cader Thompson entered downtown’s Vine & Barrel Wine Shop and berated the owner over a marketing email. She later apologized. Above all, Hanania pointed to an April 21 City Council meeting that ended in turmoil. Before a contentious vote on the city’s “downtown overlay” zoning change – which would allow denser development in a two-block area – Cader Thompson, who supports the overlay, accused opponents of making an antisemitic online post about her and “spreading lies about my deceased parents.” (The antisemitic post, made anonymously by local residents on a fringe social media page, has been confirmed by the Argus-Courier. Alleged statements made about Cader Thompson’s parents were not confirmed.) Her remarks drew an angry reaction from attendees at the meeting, prompting three people to be escorted out. She then called out one of those leaving, claiming the woman had a personal relationship with Council member Alex DeCarli, a vocal overlay opponent who had recused himself from the vote. When he returned to the chambers after the vote, a bitter argument ensued. Afterward, Cader Thompson stood by her allegations about antisemitism and misinformation, but said, “I should not have brought Council member DeCarli’s personal life into my comments. That was inappropriate and for that I apologize.” Since the July meeting announcing the recall, Hanania’s tone toward Cader Thompson seems to have hardened. “She’s behaving more like a dictator,” he said recently. “She’s not behaving like an elected official.” He denied working with DeCarli or any other local leader to unseat her, saying, “I do not at all talk to Alex DeCarli about this issue because of the situation he’s in and the animosity between him and Janice.” Hanania also said additional recalls may follow, targeting other council members who, like Cader Thompson, supported controversial city initiatives such as the Appellation Petaluma hotel project, the D Street bike lane pilot project and a very recent proposal to explore paid parking downtown. Besides Cader Thompson, he named council members Brian Barnacle, Frank Quint and Mayor Kevin McDonnell as targets, and added that John Shribbs was also under scrutiny. “We have a majority of council members with a vision. And they’re trying to force their vision on everybody else,” he told the Argus-Courier. Because of that, he said, “The community wants four council members recalled.” Hanania said he would not personally launch “any other recall that comes through,” although he would gather signatures for those efforts. “To my understanding there’s two more recalls coming” – for Barnacle and Quint, he said – “and the reason is because they lied to the community.” Anzore, the official recall proponent, declined to explain his reasons for joining the effort, saying only in an email: “Recalls can have a positive outcome. I am following the rules and guidelines prescribed by California laws and regulations.” Cader Thompson declined to discuss the recall directly, saying she remains focused on city business. “When I ran in 2022, I promised to listen to my constituents, show up in the community, and do what’s best for Petaluma, and I’ve kept that promise,” she said. “I’ve given District 1 a voice and worked hard to move Petaluma forward.” ‘Fiscally irresponsible’ While Hanania and his allies push ahead, many prominent locals have condemned the effort. In a joint letter, former Petaluma mayors Teresa Barrett, David Glass and Pam Torliatt called the recall “unwarranted but also fiscally irresponsible.” Leaders of the city’s police and firefighter unions also voiced opposition, writing that recalls should be reserved for real misconduct, not personal or policy disagreements. “In this case, the recall is an unnecessary, expensive, and divisive attempt to overturn the results of a fair election,” they said, urging District 1 residents to not sign the petition. Hanania dismissed those criticisms, saying, “If they’re supporting Janice, they’re supporting all the wrongdoing she’s been doing.” He did not elaborate on what he meant by “wrongdoing.” He also repeated an unsubstantiated claim – one he posted on Nextdoor – alleging City Manager Peggy Flynn pressured the union leaders to issue their letter. Flynn denied that accusation, saying the union “operates independently and makes their own decisions” and that “I learned of the letter when it was posted online.” The Argus-Courier has seen no evidence to support Hanania’s claim. The city’s draft resolution on the recall argues the process “trusts the voters to know when circumstances require the recall of a representative,” and that “in normal circumstances, the power of the voters to choose their representative is best exercised at regularly scheduled elections” – as when Cader Thompson comes up for reelection in November 2026. “Ultimately,” it states, “the voters of District 1 must determine whether the direct and indirect costs of a recall effort are warranted by the circumstances.” Don Frances is editor of the Argus-Courier. He can be reached at don.frances@arguscourier.com.
