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Central Point recall attempt fails Mayor, 2 council members survive; anti-smoking vote in September By SARA MURPHY CENTRAL POINT -- A recall effort targeting the mayor and two City Council members failed Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Jackson County Clerk's Office. Nearly 50 percent, or 3,290, of Central Point voters returned their ballots for the special election in which citizens were asked to decide whether to recall Mayor Bill Walton and City Council members Dave Gilmour and Donna Higginbotham. Gilmour had the closest margin, defeating the recall with just 54 percent of votes from his ward. Some 333 voters said yes to recalling Gilmour, while 398 said no. "I expected I'd have the hardest time," Gilmour said. "That's why I pushed a little harder." Gilmour ran several advertisements in the Central Point Times weekly newspaper to campaign against the recall. "I make enemies because I'm opinionated," said Gilmour, who added that his downtown ward is made up of "a lot of people who were happy with the way things were done" under the previous council. Walton received the support of 2,031 voters, or about 62 percent, while 1,254 voted to oust the mayor. Higginbotham won the recall by a margin of 64 percent, with 319 voters saying yes and 573 saying no. "You couldn't help but get worried," said Higginbotham. "But I've received lots of cards and calls from neighbors giving their support. I guess I've got a lot of thank you's to write." The preliminary results account for all but 21 ballots. The clerk's office is expected to announce the final results today. Larry Thornton, chief petitioner for the recall, said he was disappointed and surprised by the election results. "The people have spoke, but they've also lost their voice," Thornton said. "These people (the council) will make their decisions for them from now on." Gilmour said the results of the recall may help predict how Central Point residents will vote in September when a controversial anti-smoking ordinance headlines the ballots. "I think this gives us a very good chance of getting the smoking ordinance passed in September," Gilmour said. Walton said the recall has diverted his time and energy from more positive projects, but that he still stands behind council's decision to adopt the smoking ordinance without taking it to a public vote. As well as leading the recall effort, Thornton petitioned for a referendum to put the smoking ordinance on the ballot after the council adopted it in January. Despite the failed recall attempt, Thornton said he will continue to act as a watchdog at city hall. "As long as I'm here, if they're doing something to hurt this city, I'll speak out," he said. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA