Michigan: Belding City council member facing November 4 recall

Belding City Council member Joe Feuerstein is facing two candidates in his upcoming recall, Dennis Cooper and John LaClear.

California: San Diego City Council revamps recall law

San Diego City Council approved numerous changes to the recall law that will revamp their troubled provisions:

• The amount of time to collect signatures was doubled from 60 to 120 days.

 • A supplemental period in which recall proponents could gather more signatures, if they didn't have enough when the petitions were filed, was removed.

 • The time given to the city to schedule an election, if the recall qualifies, was increased to 180 days. 

• A recall drive registered with the City Clerk's Office will require five proponents who live in, or vote in, San Diego.

 • Recall efforts will not be allowed against an elected official whose term is scheduled to end within six months.

New Jersey: Proposed legislation would subject LG to recall law

Here

California: Salinas School Board recall hands in signatures

Petitioners have handed in 2,621 signatures to recall Salinas school board member Janet Barnes, 329 more than needed. Petitioners used a professional signature gatherers ($3-$5 each signature). The issue was the reassignment of a principal. The election is scheduled to cost between $129,668 and $185,240.

Michigan: Tuscarora Township chief deputy clerk appointed to run recall

The county clerk is facing a recall, hence the appointment.

California: My Op-ed on Proposition O

Here's an op-ed for the Berkeleyside website on Proposition O, which changes the recall law.

Nebraska: Petitioner drops recall attempt against Fremont mayor, council members

The recall petitions against Mayor Scott Getzschman and City Council members Larry Johnson and Michael Kuhns have been droped, though the petitioner said he will retry in better weather. 

The issue was the three officials' support for a failed special election which would repeal the housing portion of the city's illegal immigrant ordinance (the vote against was 3,896-2,644).

California: Recall attempt against San Marino Councilman in "poopgate" fails

The recall of City Councilman Dennis Kneier failed, with petitioners not handing in signatures. Kneier was the former mayor who threw dog poop on his neighbor's lawn. Petitioners needed 2,143 signatures to get this one the ballot.

Massachusetts:Trial to stop Fall River mayoral recall starts

Here

California: Rialto School board recall fails

The recall attempt against two Rialto Unified school board members, Joe Ayala and Joseph Martinez, failed with petitioners unable to get enough signatures. The issue was the support of a former superintendent. Petitioners needed 9,450 signatures, and claimed to have got within a few thousands.\ The recall was started before the bizarre Holocaust denying essay.

Colorado: Recall winner well behind in funds a week before the election

George Rivera, who won the seat that Angela Giron lost, is well behind in funds a week before the election. Let's see what happens.

Michigan: Chicken Coop in Tawas leads to two recall petitions

City Council Member Dave Dickman is facing petitions pushed by former Mayor Kane Kelly, who is claiming that Dickman was one of the council members who forced him to resign. Kelly is also pushing for the recall of Councilwoman Janel Walmsley starting in January. The issue that started the battle is an attempt to arrest residents who kept a small amount of chickens on their property. The council pushed Kelly to resign after Kelly got involved in the case. Kelly tried to rescind the resignation, but that was rejected.

Kelly will need to resubmit the petition, as there were grammatical errors and a lack of clarity.

Texas: Laredo councilman facing recall over drug possession cancels appearance

Here

Massachusetts: Four Sagus Selectmen facing petitions over town manager suspension

Saugus Selectmen Chairman Ellen Faiella, Vice Chairman Maureen Dever and selectmen Stephen Castinetti and Paul Alla are also facing petitions following the suspension of the town manager. Petitioners need 4,420 signatures (25% of registereds). However, people can sign for all the candidates, so it is not a district-based issue.

Michigan: Winners of 2014 New Haven recall facing the voters in November

Interesting piece looking at the possible fallout from the 2014 recall.

Alaska: Wrangell physician, who was suspended by recalled hospital board and then reinstated, charged with child porn possession

A Wrangell physician and Chief of Staff of the Wrangell Medical Center was charged with possession of child pornography. What makes this interesting is that the previous Wrangell Board oted to strip the doctor of his medical privileges. But the eight of nine members of the board were kicked out in 2012. The physician was reinstated by the new board and hospital head, and later made Chief of Staff.

California: Big Money in the Moreno Valley council recall race

Moreno Valley Councilwoman Victoria Baca is receiving big money from a developer of a proposed 41.6 millon square foot mega warehouse. Highland Fairview has given $150,000 to fight the Baca recall (and another $207,000 for other local candidates). The company had previously tossed in nearly $300,000 against the recall of Baca and Mayor Tom Owings, who was kicked out in a June recall. The $357,000 given for this election is more than three times the total raised by all 18 council candidates and Baca.

Missouri: Columbia Councilwoman facing petitions after switched position kills marijuana decriminalization bill

Columbia Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick is facing petitions over her vote against a marijuana decriminalization bill (the bill would have allowed people to grow two plants). The bill went down, 4-3. Chadwick had stated that she would support the bill during a candidate forum in March, before she was elected.

Oddly, Chadwick had amended the bill moments before the failed vote to limit the decriminalization to people 21 and older (which passed 4-3). 

Petitioners would need 249 signatures (30% of turnout).

Michigan: Statement by Benton Harbor recall petitioner charged with electoral fraud

Here

Michigan: Pulaski Township rematch on the ballot in November

Pulaski Township Supervisor Robert Jones is facing off against the candidate he beat in 2012, David White. White had to file four petitions to get the recall language approved. The issue was the firing of the fire chief. Jones, a Democrats, beat White, a Republican, 476-402. They'll rematch this November.

Massachusetts: 12th candidate enters Fall River Mayoral race

This is one very popular race

California: Salinas School Board recall raising funds

Money is flowing into the campaign to recall Salinas School Board member Janet Barnes, with $7980 raised. Barnes' counter-recall has raised $1,539. One of the donors was the school principal who was reassigned by the board. Among the complaints are that Barnes was appointed, and ignored a conflict of interest by reassigning principals that she served under as a teacher.

Petitioner needs 2,291 signatures by October 28. The recall campaign is supposedly paying between $3 (and now $5) per signature.

Colorado: Students pushing Jeffco school board recall over AP US History changes

Jeffco students are looking to organize recalls against the three member school board majority,  Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk,  over changes to AP US History (the changes state that the instructional material presents positive aspects of US history).

Massachusetts: Fall River Mayor refuses to sign recall election order

Serious, and expected, shenanigans in Falls River. Mayor Will Flanagan's refused to sign an order allowing his recall to move forward on December 16, claiming it is a violation of his ethical obligation (and of the "canons of ethics of public employee"). The Corporation Counsel said that the recall will be moving forward regardless.

Colorado: Two Pueblo City Council members resign; one still facing recall threats from trash haulers

Facing recall threats, Pueblo City Council President Sandy Daff resigned, following her ally Councilman Chris Kaufman. Councilwoman Ami Nawrocki is still facing a recall (signatures due on October 24). The issue was that three were creating city policy in private, with a major focus on trash collections. Trash haulers were the leaders of the recall effort.

Maryland: Mount Airy Town council shoots down expansion of recall

Mount Airy Town Council voted down an expansion of the recall law (currently it requires seven grounds), though the  town council is also debating an ordinace that will remove it from an oversight role in recall.

However, a change to the ordinance that would eliminate the Town Council’s major role in the recall election will be determined at next month’s meeting Nov. 3.

Non-Recall Op-ed on the NYC Mayor and his wife's Chief of Staff

This ran in the Week

South Carolina: Editorial opposes recall law

Here

Louisiana: Mansfield Mayor facing petitions

Mansfield Mayor Curtis McCoy is being hit with petitions in an effort led by a business owner who apparently does not live in the city. Petitioner claims to have 250 signatures, though they will need 3,016 (33.3% of registereds) in 180 days.

There is a laundry list of issues, including McCoy's purchase of properties that were up for sale due to unpaid taxes. McCoy claims the issue is a 2009 City vote forcing Atkins to remove a mobile home and a shutdown her other business earlier this year.

Colorado: Center School Board members facing petitions

More recalls in Center, as School Board members Phillip Varoz and James Sanchez are now facing petitions over their push to remove the Superintendent.

Florida: Recall attempt against Miami-Dade mayor ends

The effort to recall Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez put on hold, though petitioners are claiming that recent budgetary moves were a concession to them.

Louisana: Second Gonzales Councilman facing December 6 recall

Councilman Timothy Vessel is now joining Gary Lacombe in facing a December 6th recall vote. Petitioners handed in 2188 signatures. Here's some earlier discussion of these recalls.

Georgia: Calls to recall Chatam County Commissioner over boycott calls

Chatham County Commissioner Yusuf Shabazz is facing calls for censure after he pushed for boycotts of convenience stores where someone was shot to death by Savannah police after being arrested on outstanding warrants. In the link article, a columnist calls for Shabazz to face a recall. However, Georgia is much more difficult than this article suggests -- as malfeasance state, petitioners would have to show wrongdoing, and a call for boycott is not likely to meet that standard. It is doubtful that the courts will allow this one to go forward. Here's the steps that the columnist notes:

The next step is up to a judge. The Georgia Recall Act lists five grounds for removing a public official (malfeasance, violating the oath of office, misconduct, failure to perform duties as prescribed by law or misappropriating funds or property). The judge would decide whether one of those standards is met and if the recall could go forward.
If so, the chairman would have to convince at least 30 percent of the registered voters in the 5th District to sign a recall petition. In 2012, this district had 13,360 registered voters. Thirty percent means 4,006 signatures. Once that requirement is met, a special election would be scheduled.

California: San Diego looks to reform recall law

Following last year's debacle with the San Diego Mayoral recall threats, the City Council to make some basic changes in the law. It will increase the amount of time for signature gathering to 99 days (with no bizarre supplemental period) and call for a recall between 90-180 days (versus the current 60-90 days).

Massachusetts: Two Winchendon Selectmen facing recall threats

Two Winchendon Selectmen, Keith Barrows and Robert O'Keefe, are facing recall threats over their support for the Town Manager, who survived a vote to fire him (the vote was 3-2 to fire, but they needed 4 votes). A former Selectmen Larry Sordoni is leading the charge, claiming the Manager has mismanaged town finances.

Petitioners would need 314 signatures (5% of the registered voters); and then would need 940 signatures (15%) to get on the ballot. They would then need at least 1254 votes total (for and against) to make the vote legal. Since the re-election is in May and there is a 6 months grace period at the end of a term when no recall can be held, petitioners have only two months to get on the ballot.

Both O'Keefe and Barrows were elected in a recall vote.

Idaho: Mica Kidd Island Fire District recall proceeds, despite no illegal executive session

Mica Kidd Island Fire District  Commissioner Chris Shelton is facing a recall in November, thought the reason behind it -- an illegal executive session -- was found not to have been illegal by the DA's office (there was sufficient notice).

South Carolina: New political party proposes recall law

This is the American Party.

California: Sunnyvale Councilman recall doesn't get to the ballot

The recall effort against Sunnyvale Councilman Pat Meyering failed, despite the support of four former mayors. Petitioners only got 4,530 of 8,284 signature. Meyering faces complaints about a belligerent attitude.

Michigan: New Buffalo mayor facing petitions over support for removal of City Manager

Petitions have been filed against New Buffalo Mayor Pete Weber over his support for the removal of the City Manager. Petitions are being reviewed for clarity/factualness.

Nevada: Washoe County School Board targeted for recalls

 Washoe County School District Board members are facing recall threats over a $500,000 buyout of a School Superintendent Pedro Martinez The board is accused of holding illegal meetings. The board claims they started the procedure to get rid of Martinez, after incorrectly hearing that he was not a CPA.

The recall would not start until after the November general election. Trustees Barbara Clark, Barbara McLaury, Lisa Ruggerio, John Mayer, Howard Rosenberg and Logan Carlson all are being threatened (the last board member is not running for reelection).