DUBLIN — A rebellion against this city’s rapid growth heated up Tuesday when residents took the first steps toward recalling a school board member and city councilman.

Adding to the whirlwind of Dublin political conflicts, some 650 school teachers, parents and students marched by candlelight to the school board meeting to protest the lack of progress in teachers’ pay negotiations. Teachers and the school district haven’t agreed yet on a pay increase to cover the last school year.

During the packed school board meeting, a group of residents served school Trustee Dan Cunningham with a notice of intent to begin a recall petition against him. Critics contend Cunningham, a board member for nine years, has failed to take actions to prevent school overcrowding, build a second high school, and “stop the massive influx of new homes in both the east and west of Dublin.”

About an hour later, disgruntled residents migrated to a City Council meeting to present a notice of recall to Councilman Abe Gupta. His critics say Gupta failed to live up to his 2014 campaign promises when he voted to approve several developments that included houses.

“Councilman Gupta has failed to uphold the campaign promises that got him elected,” said the notice signed by five local residents.

Neither Cunningham nor Gupta made an immediate response to the recall notices.

Bobby Khullar, a Dublin resident, presented the recall notice to Cunningham. He also has been involved in planning the recall against Gupta and setting up a political action committee to fund it.

He and many residents say they are upset with the Dublin leaders’ failure to deal with the rapid residential growth that has led to school overcrowding, traffic problems and loss of open space.

Khuller said organizers need to gather signatures of about 5,800 registered voters to qualify recall measures against the two officials for the ballots of either June or November, 2018. To provide a cushion to meet the requirements, organizers hope to gather some 8,000 signatures by using a mix of volunteer and paid petition gatherers, he said.

Source:By DENIS CUFF , December 6, 2017  http://www.eastbaytimes.com