After filing a timely formal written election challenge to the La Jolla 
Community Planning Association’s (LJCPA) March 2014 election, two members of the LJCPA, Bob Whitney and Michael Morton have filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego, LJCPA, and Joe La Cava. When contacted, Whitney said; “This is not the course of action we wanted to take, but after waiting for ten months we were left with no other adequate option to correct the errors outlined in the election challenge. The City, LJCPA and Joe refuse to satisfactorily correct the election errors and abide by their own bylaws and city policies.”
Based on the allegations set forth in the lawsuit, Whitney and Morton are asking the courts to seat Mr. Morton for a full three-year term as a duly elected Trustee. They are requesting that Trustee Joe La Cava step down immediately for a period of one year from the LJCPA to come into compliance with the LJCPA’s city approved bylaws. Additionally, La Cava should step down as the Chair of the City of San Diego’s Community Planners Committee, a position he held before terming out in 2014. Furthermore, given that Mr. La Cava was termed out after six consecutive years as a Trustee and not duly elected in 2014, he should not be defended or indemnified by the City of San Diego, pursuant to city Ordinance O-17086. Finally, the petition requests that the City not officially recognize the LJCPA as a community planning group under Council Policy 600-24, and decertify the LJCPA as a community planning group. “It’s a shame it has come to this,” said Whitney, “but the integrity of our community planning group is more important than any one individual and we don’t want a cloud hanging over the LJCPA and its relationship with our community”.