Massachusetts: More trouble for the Bridgewater Councillor recalls

More trouble in Bridgewater. Two Town Councilors, Mike Demos and Peter Riordan will now receive the written notice that they are subject to recall. There is a possible lawsuit over whether the act allowing the recall was properly enacted and whether it was superseded by the charter. The town attorneys have rejected this argument. 


Another serious problem is that the law says that the petitions have to be signed by 10% of registered voters in the town, and the attorneys interpreted that to mean 10% of the district in question -- obviously, a much lower number. This actually came into play earlier in the process, as petitioners tried to recall an at-large Councillor. There, they needed 1500 signatures, which they were unable to get. For the other two councilors, they needed 300.