"The Danville town council race has gotten red hot, with opponents of candidate Renee Morgan writing letters, filing online comments and complaining that she misrepresented herself to voters on the ballot.
The ballot describes her job as "Businesswoman/Architectural Designer." Her opponents point out that she is not a licensed architect, and that it is a misdemeanor to describe oneself as an architect or an architectural designer without a license.
Morgan says it is a distraction by her opponents from the real issues.
"This is merely an attempt to create controversy in an election that should stick to the issues," Morgan said. "It is a job description, clearly described by my degree. I never intended to convey that I was an architect nor render services for which that license is required."
Morgan received an "architectural design drafter" diploma from the former Silicon Valley College -- a private career college in Walnut Creek that has had two name changes since Morgan attended in 1999.
Councilman Mike Doyle, who is seeking re-election, said he is concentrating on his own campaign and had no comment on Morgan. but said "I've been in a lot of elections nationally and locally, and this is one of the nastiest I've been involved in."
Maryann Cella, a steering committee member for Save Open Space-Danville, which has been spreading the word that Morgan is not a licensed architect, said Morgan's ballot designation
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is "misleading, if not outright defrauding the public."
Save Open Space is a grassroots organization of about 700 people that has thrown its support behind candidates Bob Nealis and Jim Jelincic,
"It's a violation of Business and Professions Code Section 5536 (a) for unlicensed people to call themselves an architect or any derivative of that word," said Hattie Johnson, an enforcement officer for the state Board of Architects.
She said Morgan's diploma doesn't allow her to represent herself as an architectural designer.
According to the Business and Professions Code, unlicensed people who represent themselves as architectural designers can be fined up to $5,000, and/or be sent to county jail. However, Johnson said when her organization receives such a complaint, the violator is asked to stop using the word architect in any job description, and that usually does the trick.
Johnson wouldn't say if complaints have been filed against Morgan.
Morgan has been a town planning commissioner for the past eight years and has been endorsed by incumbent candidates Mayor Newell Arnerich and Doyle in the seven-person race for three seats on the town council in the November election.
Morgan, Arnerich and Doyle have taken similar positions on the SummerHill project, which has become the main issue of the campaign. Project opponents want the people to vote on it under provisions of Measure S -- an open space protection measure passed by Danville voters in 2000.
However, Morgan, Arnerich and Doyle have said that if the developer does not request amendments to the general plan, Measure S is not triggered and no vote of the people is required. Currently, no decision has been made on the project while an environmental impact report is being prepared.
Meanwhile, Morgan's opponents are hammering on the ballot issue.
"It is imperative that ballot designations are true, accurate and not misleading. It's the first line for a fair election." Jelincic said.
"Clearly, (Morgan is) trying to perpetuate a deceit on the voters of Danville, said Nealis. "You can't tell me it's an oversight or an error to call yourself an architectural designer when in fact you're not."
Nealis also took issue with Arnerich's endorsement of Morgan. Arnerich is a licensed architect. "It's particularly ironic that he's endorsing someone who is claiming to be a licensed professional in a field that he's in."
"What I see is she put down a job description," Arnerich said. "If they didn't think that Renee didn't have a chance of winning, they wouldn't be doing this."
The two other candidates in the race, Lori Hock and Deanna Sullivan, did not return phone calls on the matter."
Contact Jason Sweeney at 925-847-2123. Follow him at Twitter.com/Jason_Sweeney.
Copyright 2012 Contra Costa Times. All rights reserved.
