This California town booted out its leaders – what happens if they refuse to leave?

From the outside, the city of Avenal appears to embody every bit of its motto – an “oasis in the sun”. Approaching the community, passing through the dusty yellow hillsides of the Central Valley, Avenal emerges with a sudden burst of green on the horizon. Its small-town feel and quiet tree-lined streets offer respite from the bustling Interstate 5 some five miles away.

But trouble is brewing here that has brought this lonesome city national attention. In April, voters in the city of 13,500 people recalled four of five city council members, in what recall organizers said was a first in California. And, in another first, the city council members have simply remained in office.

For months, they have refused to accept the results, alleging that the recalls were improperly conducted, and have carried on holding meetings, overseeing city business and suing in an effort to invalidate the election. The dispute, and the disagreements that led to the recall, have left this community deeply divided, residents told the Guardian, and eager for a resolution that will bring back some kind of normalcy. But the repercussions of what is unfolding in this small city extend far beyond the Central Valley.

The community has always been a tight-knit, said Delila Barajas, a recall organizer who is now running for city council. People here are humble and family-oriented and eager to help one another out, she said. Nearly everyone offers a slightly different answer about when exactly things got off track, but most point to the city’s move to create its own fire department last year.

Avenal had long received fire services from Kings county, but announced last year it would instead establish a volunteer city fire department as the cost of county services was slated to significantly increase. The decision hit a nerve. People in the community have deep ties to the county fire department, said Ginger Wallis, another organizer of the recall who is now running for council.

But it also put into relief larger frustrations with the mayor and the city council. The county district attorney would eventually sue Avenal, alleging the council committed multiple Brown Act violations by allegedly discussing plans about proposed city fire services during closed-session meetings where the public is not permitted. It was part of a broader trend, Barajas said.