Bay, Foster win re-election
R.B. Jones is ousted by voters

Former three-time East Palo Alto Mayor R.B. Jones was turned out of office decisively by the city's voters Tuesday, thanks in all likelihood to the legal troubles hanging over him.

Incumbents Duane Bay and Pat Foster easily won Tuesday, while Donna Rutherford has succeeded in her second attempt to move from the Ravenswood City School District board to the City Council.

Jones finished 12th in a field of 15 candidates on the ballot.

He is facing bribery charges for allegedly accepting money from companies that wanted to do business with the city. His trial is scheduled to begin in January.

"It wasn't meant to be," Jones said after the final returns were in late Tuesday night. "The forces that I am involved in in terms of my legal situation (have) succeeded in their efforts in removing me from office."

Because of Jones' legal troubles, this was a milestone election which drew a large field of hopeful candidates despite the fact that all three incumbents were in the race.

While the face of East Palo Alto is changing through its redevelopment projects, there is also concern that not everyone is benefiting from the city's growing economic success.

Foster, who was appointed to the council in early 1999 to fill a vacancy, was elated to be the leading vote-getter by a wide margin. "It feels good not being an appointed City Council member anymore," Foster said. "I am glad people appreciated my efforts."

Bay finished second to Foster, (1,390 votes to 991 votes), while Rutherford won the third and final seat with 935 votes.

A. Peter Evans finished fourth with 831 votes and Samuel Rasheed finished fifth with 721 votes.

Three Latinos running as a slate finished a disappointing seventh, ninth and eleventh--Victor Perez (613 votes), Everardo Luna (586) and Jose Beltran (490).

Jones finished with 480 votes.

"I expected to win," Rutherford said. "It wasn't a surprise."

"We've got a lot of good stuff started and I am eager to continue that," said Bay, who is also the city's vice mayor and head of the redevelopment agency.

--Don Kazak and Marv Snow