Massachusetts: Hinsdale voting on Wednesday on adopting recall

Hinsdale will be voting on adopting a recall in a special meeting on Wednesday. 

If the plan is given the go-ahead, 100 registered voters would be able to initiate recall measures at any given time for reasons of “lack of fitness, incompetence, neglect of duties, corruption, malfeasance, or violation of oath.” From there, 20 percent of the town’s roughly 1,400 registered voters would have to sign a recall petition. If the elected official facing removal does not resign within five days of receiving written notice, a recall election would be held at least 64 days after but no more than 90 days after. 

More than 300 townspeople signed a citizen petition requesting the special meeting.  

The article would also bar any elected official who was removed via recall election or resigned after a recall petition was filed from serving in a town office for two years. Also, a recall petition could not be brought against a person within the first six months of being in office. If the recall article passes, it will need to be brought to the state Legislature and the governor to be signed into law

The recall idea started after the current Select Board placed former police chief Nancy Daniels on paid administrative leave (Daniels failed to complete Municipal Police Training Academy). The current Select Chair Bonnie Conner and Selectman Bill Goddard are facing recall threats. The key backer of the recall lost to Goddard in the last election.