Massachusetts: Holyoke City Council Charter and Rules Committee recommends recall election law

The Holyoke City Council's Charter and Rules Committee is recommending the passage of a recall election law for the city. The City Council is voting on the provision on October 6, and then will require the state legislature to approve it. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who recently lost a race for Congress against Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal, faced a recall effort after heavily disputed claims of inappropriate behavior during his time as a lecturer at UMass. 

City Councilor Mike Sullivan, Linda Vacon, David Bartley and Howard Greaney Jr. are all co-sponsoring an order to allow for the recall. Several attempts to enact a recall were rejected by Morse.

In 2017, the mayor's term moved from 2 to 4 years, but he refused to sign a plan to also put in a recall law.  

Petitioners would need 500 signatures. There is a 12 month grace period at the end of the term, petitioners would need 10% in 30 days.