Newspaper Calls on Monrovia to Hold 'Real Election'

A local newspaper called on Monrovia to extend its candidate filing period to encourage more people to run for two open City Council seats instead of canceling the elections in April.

The Pasadena Star-News wrote in a Wednesday editorial that Monrovia's muddled election situation has become "bewildering and ultimately undemocratic" after Councilman Clarence Shaw's controversial actions left voters with just two choices for two open council seats.

"The right thing to do would be to extend the filing period and invite other interested and qualified Monrovians to run for office," the paper wrote.

Shaw told Patch that he intended to run for re-election the day before the filing period closed but then never filed to run, resigning a day later. Councilman Tom Adams has accused Shaw of pretending to run to discourage potential candidates from coming forward to challenge his appointed replacement, Larry Spicer.

Shaw has said that he pulled out of the race at the last minute to attend to military obligations.

It is unclear whether the council has the power to extend the nomination period for the election under California law. Mary Ann Lutz said in an interview Wednesday that her understanding from a memo written by City Attorney Craig Steele is that the council can only cancel the election or hold it with the two nominated candidates.