Recall of Mayor Lisel Blash
Shall Lisel Blash be recalled (removed) from the office of Town Councilmember of the Town of Fairfax?
YES NO
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CIRCULATE RECALL PETITION
TO THE HONORABLE Councilmember Lisel Blash:
Pursuant to Section 11020, California Elections Code, the undersigned registered qualified voters of the Town of Fairfax, in the State of California, hereby give notice that we are the proponents of a recall petition and that we intend to seek your recall and removal from the office of Council Member, in the Town of Fairfax. The grounds for the recall are as follows:
MISMANAGEMENT CHAOS:
- Blatantly ignored encampment crisis leading to fire hazards, contamination of watershed, hard drug use, and child endangerment
- Pursued high-density housing in downtown Fairfax
- Increasing the risk of a death trap scenario for residents during wildfires, floods or earthquakes
- Voted against the no-camping ordinance - Siding with mentally ill drug addicts
- Dismissed West Marin Little League’s desperate pleas about threats to child safety
- Backed crippling rent control laws despite overwhelming public outcry
- Ignored crumbling town infrastructure - Mismanaged funds earmarked for maintenance and repairs leaving Fairfax with the worst roads in Marin County
- Frivolous spending - Wasted our taxpayer dollars on unnecessary consultants
SECRECY AND DECEPTION:
- Restricted free speech at meetings - Silencing opposing views
- Repeated deception about services to encampment - Concealed real intention to overdevelop Fairfax
- Intentionally mislead the public - Plans for a 7-story high rise at School Street Plaza were dismissed as “fear mongering”
- Pandered to outside political influences and previous employer Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative
- Disregarded election results - Defied the citizens’ overwhelming vote to elect the town clerk
- Deceptive political maneuvering to silence new town council members
Mayor Blash Response to Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition
As your mayor, I am committed to enhancing civility, transparency, and engagement in Fairfax. The last election was contentious, and my goal is to restore calm and put the “unity” back in community, ensuring that all councilmembers’ voices are heard, and that all residents, including those unable to attend meetings in person, have an equal opportunity to express their views.
Fairfax is facing a number of challenges, including state housing mandates, aging infrastructure, unaffordable housing, and wildfire risk. Recall proponents have seized on these issues to drive a wedge in our community.
Having failed to secure a third seat in the last election, they are spreading misinformation and sowing division in a lastditch attempt at a council majority. They’re willing to tear the town apart and waste $60,000 of taxpayer money on a special election to get their way.
Do we really want to be swept up in the politics of polarization and revenge engulfing our nation, or face our challenges as a community and work together across our differences?
We are stronger together.
Resist the Recall—Decline to Sign!
Find out more: www.fairfax4civility.org
STATEMENT OF OFFICEHOLDER FOR
Town of Fairfax
Town Councilmember
LISEL BLASH
Occupation: Fairfax Councilmember, Higher Education and Heathcare Research Analyst
Fairfax maintains a balanced budget, clean audits, and a healthy reserve. We have initiated work on important infrastructure projects, filled a police position that has been frozen since 2008, fully staffed our fire engines after years of inaction, advanced plans to renovate our fire station, and revived our Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. I am proud to have overseen these achievements as mayor.
However, we face ongoing challenges: state housing mandates, aging infrastructure, unaffordable housing, and wildfire risk. Recall proponents have exploited these issues to divide our community.
Having failed to secure a third seat in the 2024 election, they’re spreading disinformation in a last-ditch effort at an unelected council majority. It’s an attempt to overturn the will of the people and distract from the real work of local government.
Their radical and reckless agenda would threaten our community’s stability, cede local control to developers, and put our town in legal and financial jeopardy.
Congressman Jared Huffman, California State Senator Mike McGuire, Assembly Member Damon Connolly, and the entire Marin County Board of Supervisors oppose this recall. They all recognize that democracy is about collaboration and compromise, working together across our differences.
Vote for community over chaos; vote NO on the recalls.
DECLARACIÓN DE LA TITULAR DEL CARGO PARA
Concejala de la
Ciudad de Fairfax
LISEL BLASH
Profesión: Concejala de Fairfax, Analista de Investigación en Educación Superior y Salud
Fairfax mantiene un presupuesto equilibrado, auditorías transparentes y una reserva sólida. Hemos dado inicio a importantes proyectos de infraestructura, cubierto un puesto policial vacante desde 2008, realizado la dotación de personal de nuestros camiones de bomberos tras años de inactividad, promovido planes para renovar nuestra estación de bomberos y reactivado nuestro Comité Asesor para Ciclistas y Peatones. Tengo el orgullo de haber estado a cargo de supervisar estos logros como alcaldesa.
Sin embargo, nos enfrentamos a constantes desafíos: mandatos estatales en materia de vivienda, infraestructura obsoleta, viviendas de precio inaccesible y el riesgo de incendios forestales. Quienes proponen la destitución han explotado estos problemas para dividir a nuestra comunidad.
Tras no haber conseguido un tercer escaño en las elecciones de 2024, están difundiendo desinformación en una última tentativa por conseguir una mayoría no elegida en el consejo. Es un intento de invalidar la voluntad del pueblo y distraer la atención del auténtico trabajo del gobierno local.
Su agenda radical e imprudente representaría una amenaza para la estabilidad de nuestra comunidad, cedería el control local a los promotores inmobiliarios y pondría a su ciudad en una situación de riesgo legal y financiero.
El congresista Jared Huffman, el senador del estado de California Mike McGuire, el miembro de la Asamblea Damon Connolly y toda la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Marin se oponen a esta destitución. Todos ellos reconocen que la democracia se basa en la colaboración y el compromiso, en trabajar juntos más allá de nuestras diferencias.
Vote a favor de la comunidad y en contra del caos; vote NO a las destituciones.
Recall of Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman
Shall Stephanie Hellman be recalled (removed) from the office of Town Councilmember of the Town of Fairfax?
YES NO
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CIRCULATE RECALL PETITION
TO THE HONORABLE Councilmember Stephanie Hellman: Pursuant to Section 11020, California Elections Code, the undersigned registered qualified voters of the Town of Fairfax, in the State of California, hereby give notice that we are the proponents of a recall petition and that we intend to seek your recall and removal from the office of Council Member, in the Town of Fairfax. The grounds for the recall are as follows:
MISMANAGEMENT CHAOS:
- Pursued high-density housing in downtown Fairfax
- Increasing the risk of a death trap scenario for residents during wildfires, floods and earthquakes
- Ignored the towns crumbling infrastructure - Mismanaged funds earmarked for maintenance and repairs leaving Fairfax with the worst roads in Marin County
- Failure of oversight of town manager and attorney led to runaway legal expenses and staffing costs
- Frivolous spending - Wasted our taxpayer dollars on unnecessary consultants
- Consistently voted based on personal agenda over constituent voices and town needs
- Backed crippling rent control laws despite overwhelming public outcry - Prioritized the agenda of outside influences and the Berkeley Rent Board
DECEPTIVE AND HOSTILE:
- Obstruction of information - Ignoring voter emails, public questions and violating the public’s right to know
- Refuses to support an independent audit of town finances
- Deceptive political maneuvering to silence new town council members
- Disregarded election results - Defying the citizens’ overwhelming vote to elect the town clerk
- Hostility towards constituents - Behaving in a rude, disrespectful manner in public and in meetings
- Abandoned elected responsibilities by walking out of town council meetings before critical consent calendar votes
Vice Mayor Hellman Response to Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition
The deceptive and misleading allegations in this recall petition distort the facts and distract from the real challenges facing Fairfax—housing, infrastructure, and fire safety. This recall effort is an expensive distraction, costing taxpayers $60,000 to relitigate decisions voters have already made.
Vice Mayor Hellman was elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2022 with more votes than any other candidate. She has served Fairfax with dedication to protecting the town’s character, ensuring responsible governance, and advancing policies that prioritize the well-being of all residents.
This recall is not about better governance; it’s about resisting progress and undermining the will of the voters. It mirrors the toxic and divisive tactics of MAGA politics—disinformation, personal attacks, and manufactured outrage—designed to sow division instead of promoting solutions. Fairfax deserves leadership focused on real issues, not political theater.
Hellman remains committed to serving with integrity, transparency, and dedication. We urge the community to please reject this polarizing recall and DO NOT SIGN the petition. Let’s get back to truth, civility, collaboration and work together on real solutions.
Find the facts at Fairfax4civility.org
STATEMENT OF OFFICEHOLDER FOR
Town of Fairfax
Town Councilmember
STEPHANIE HELLMAN
Occupation: Fairfax Councilmember, Manager, Nonprofit Consultant, Parent, Caregiver
Vote NO on Recall of Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman. Choose community, not chaos.
Voters should know what’s really at stake. The recall is a power grab designed to undo an election result and destabilize our town. A recall would waste hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars while creating a dangerous leadership vacuum with no clear action plan.
The consequences are serious:
Punitive builder’s remedy: loss of nearly all local control inviting unlimited development;
Fiscal ruin: spiraling legal liabilities, state penalties that could bankrupt our town;
Instability: disruption to steady leadership and critical town staffing.
Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman is a responsible steward of good governance and fiscal oversight. During Hellman’s tenure, Fairfax has a balanced budget with strong reserves. She supported increased fire and police staffing, voted to acquire the Wall Property, advocated for e-bike policy, and the strongest Climate policies in the county. Hellman designed relief programs for small business and older adults during COVID and has been a staunch advocate for vulnerable residents.
The Marin Professional Firefighters, Marin Democrats, North Bay Labor Council, all five members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, Congressman Jared Huffman, Senator McGuire, Assemblyman Damon Connolly all agree: a recall is misguided. Reject the politics of misinformation and personal attacks. Choose community, not chaos. Vote NO on the recall.
DECLARACIÓN DE LA TITULAR DEL CARGO PARA
Concejala de la
Ciudad de Fairfax
STEPHANIE HELLMAN
Profesión: Concejala de Fairfax, administradora, consultora de una organización sin fines de lucro, madre, proveedora de cuidados
Vote NO a la destitución de la vicealcaldesa Stephanie Hellman. Elija la comunidad, no el caos.
Los votantes deben saber lo que verdaderamente está en juego. La destitución es una maniobra para arrebatar el poder, diseñada para anular el resultado de las elecciones y desestabilizar a su ciudad. Una destitución supondría un gasto de cientos de miles de dólares de los contribuyentes y al mismo tiempo crearía un peligroso vacío de liderazgo sin un plan de acción bien definido.
Las consecuencias son graves:
Un recurso punitivo para los constructores: la pérdida de casi todo el control local, lo que propiciaría un desarrollo ilimitado;
La ruina fiscal: crecientes responsabilidades legales, sanciones estatales que podrían llevar a la quiebra a nuestra ciudad;
Inestabilidad: alteración del liderazgo estable y del personal municipal esencial.
La vicealcaldesa Stephanie Hellman es una administradora responsable del buen gobierno y la vigilancia fiscal. Durante el mandato de Hellman, Fairfax ha tenido un presupuesto equilibrado con sólidas reservas. Apoyó el aumento de personal en los cuerpos de bomberos y policía, votó a favor de adquirir la Propiedad Wall, defendió la política de bicicletas eléctricas y las políticas climáticas más estrictas del condado. Hellman diseñó programas de ayuda para negocios pequeños y adultos mayores durante la pandemia de COVID y ha sido una firme defensora de los habitantes vulnerables.
Los bomberos profesionales de Marin, los demócratas de Marin, el Consejo Laboral de North Bay, los cinco miembros de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Marin, el congresista Jared Huffman, el senador McGuire y el asambleísta Damon Connolly coinciden en que la destitución es una medida errónea. Rechace la política de desinformación y ataques personales. Elija la comunidad, no el caos. Vote NO a la destitución.