Five San Fernando Valley residents Wednesday moved forward with an effort to recall Los Angeles City Councilwoman Imelda Padilla for what they described as a “pattern of behavior and decisions that have failed to represent the best interest of our community.”

On Tuesday, residents James Adrian Stein, Steven Leffert, Gwendolyn Flynn, Stephen Fredreick Smith and Karen Schatz filed a notice of intent to recall with the City Clerk’s Office. The document is intended to inform the councilwoman that recall proceedings are about to begin.

The group of residents — who reside in Padilla’s Sixth Council District — alleged the councilwoman has failed to be transparent and accountable to her constituents, and has disregarded community input and stakeholder voices.

“Our community deserves ethical, responsive, and committed leadership. The recall of Council member Padilla is not just about one vote or one issue — it is about restoring trust and ensuring our council truly reflects and serves the will of the people,” according to paperwork filed with the city.

A representative for Padilla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Padilla represents the Sixth Council District, encompassing east San Fernando Valley communities such as Sun Valley, Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta, Lake Balboa, among others.

The notice of intent is the first step of a long process before any action can be taken on the matter.  

The paperwork is expected to be served to the elected official, who can then prepare an answer or respond. Circulation of recall petitions can begin 28 days after service of the Notice of Intention on the elected official,
if the petition has been approved by the City Clerk.

The group would then have 120 days to secure enough signatures for their petition to recall. After the petition is filed, the City Clerk would then examine and verify signatures. If enough signatures are found to be sufficient, the City Clerk would present the findings to the City Council for further action.

Under the city’s regulations, a recall petition requires valid signatures by registered voters equal in number to at least 15% of the registered voters eligible to vote for the office. With about more than 118,000 registered voters in the Sixth Council District, proponents of the recall would be required to collect roughly 17,700 signatures.

While the proponents of the recall did not specify an exact issue, Padilla has come under fire in recent weeks for comments she made during a podcast and for a proposed Tiny Home Village near a Metrolink station in Sun
Valley.

During an episode of the “Pod Save America” podcast, Padilla was a guest and debated state Sen. Scott Weiner, D-San Francisco, over his new bill that would expand housing options near certain transit projects.

In her remarks, Padilla said she fought to reduce the size of a new 100% affordable housing project in her district. The development was downsized from six stories to three stories with the addition of more parking spaces and electric vehicle chargers, according to Padilla.

The councilwoman defended the role local government has over land use decisions.

Meanwhile, Sun Valley residents have raised concerns about a proposed Tiny Home Village that would be constructed in the parking lot of a local Metrolink Station at 8360 San Fernando Road. Some residents opposed the project because they believe it will bring crime into the area and impact the community.

Critics of the project alleged that Padilla never conducted outreach or informed constituents about it.

On Wednesday, the City Council approved a motion introduced by Padilla to address some of the concerns. City departments are expected to report within 45 days with a work plan and cost estimate to make improvements to the area around the Metrolink station.

“I wanted to take a stand and make it known to all of my Sun Valley constituents who are watching and following that items 21 and 26 are for you,” Padilla said during Wednesday’s council meeting. “I want to thank everyone who attended the town hall related to potentially constructing tiny homes at our underutilized Metrolink station.”

“They told us what their fears were, what they were excited about, and what else they’d like to see and what would make them feel like it could be a better project,” she added.