Embattled Poway City Councilmember Tony Blain resigned Wednesday, a day after a vast majority of voters in his district apparently supported booting him from office.
The City Council was notified on Wednesday and his resignation is effective immediately, a city spokesperson said in a news release.
Blain, who is an Army Reserve doctor currently overseas, was facing a citizen-led recall effort that went before voters Tuesday. Initial results from the Registrar of Voters showed a little more than 80% of voters approved of the recall.
Blain has also been charged by the San Diego County District Attorney's office with four felonies and a misdemeanor.
Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said Wednesday Blain’s decision to resign is “too little, too late.”
“When the voters have voted so overwhelmingly, it comes as a weak response,” Vaus told KPBS. “However, it will give us the opportunity to move forward.”
A special City Council meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7 to discuss next steps.
In April, the Council unanimously approved a new policy that requires a special election when filling a vacancy occurring within the first 18 months of a councilmember’s four-year term. Blain was elected in November 2024.
Problems started almost immediately. He was accused of vote trading and threatening and harassing city staffers and other officials, including City Attorney Alan Fenstermacher, who lashed out during a council meeting in January.
In February, Blain was censured by the Poway City Council, a first for the city. In April, the city took an unprecedented step of suing Blain to force him to comply with the California Public Records Act and to stop him from destroying records.
The city said the lawsuit was filed as a "last resort to prevent significant liability for the city."
In October, Blain was charged with felony perjury, asking for a bribe, soliciting a bribe and destruction of public papers, as well as a misdemeanor for stealing a campaign sign.
Blain was supposed to be arraigned on Monday, but a judge granted a continuance until January due to his deployment.
The recall results won’t be certified until Dec. 2. Vaus said the original plan was to hold a special city council meeting after certification to determine the date of the special election. The June primary was a prime contender, but now that Blain has resigned, Vaus said an earlier date might be possible.
“The City Attorney is looking into what options we have,” he said. “There is a possibility, it seems now, that we could hold it earlier in the spring. We want to have someone to represent the people of District 2 as soon as possible.”
