Massachusetts: Lancaster officials suggest they have power to stop recall

Here -- sounds like a dubious bid to retain the position. I'm quoted in the article.

Canada: Taxpayer groups focus on Alberta recall law

In the wake of the premier's resignation, this story came out. I've written an  article on it -- let me see if it will be placed.

Massachusetts: Fall River Mayor facing recall petitions

Mayor Will Flanagan is now facing petitions allegedly over his support for a pay-as-you-throw garbage tax program. The same group is reported to have tried to recall Flanagan in 2012.

Texas: Laredo City Council member facing petitions after cocaine bust

Laredo City Council member Jorge Vera is facing recall petitions after he was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession. Petitioners need 10% of turnout (which is close to 500 signatures). The lead petitioner is already stating that he would run in any special.

Massachusetts: Board upholds signatures in Lancaster recalls

The recall against Lancaster  Board of Selectmen Chairman Jean M. Syria and vice chairman/clerk Susan E. Smiley is moving forward, with the registar upholding 571 and 570 signatures respectively. There seems to be some time left appeals.

California: Salinas City School District Board of Trustee facing petitions

Salinas City School District Board of Trustee Janet Barnes if facing recall petitions over the demotion of a principal. That principal just landed a new job, though that won't stop the recall effort.

Nevada: Washoe County School District Trustees facing recalls

Washoe County School District Trustees are being threatened with a recalls over the firing of the school Superintendent. Petitioners need 25% of turnout, about 2000 signatures.

California: Solano County Superior Court Judge facing petitions

Solano County Superior Court Judge Cynda Riggins-Unger is facing recall petitions over claims that she is rude to female litigants. Petitioners would need about 25,000 signatures to get on the ballot.

The attempt against Riggins-Unger follows an effort against another Soloano Judge, Daniel Healy. The Healy recall effort doesn't seem to have gone anywhere, but Healy is now just assigned criminal cases and no longer hears family law cases.

I've mentioned before how unusual it is for a recall of a judge to go anywhere, so I wouldn't expect anything from this. But even the act of taking petitions is unusual.

Wisconsin: Crandon mayor ousted

Crandon Mayor Rob Jaeger was kicked out of office on Tuesday, losing to Dennis Rosa 378-184 (67%). Petitioners claimed that Jaegar was trying to take over the city and fire employees. This was one that the City Council refused to schedule, but was forced onto the ballot by state law.

Michigan: Signatures handed in for Blackman Township recall

Over 1500 signatures have been turned in for the recall of Blackman Township trustees Betty Brockie and Mark Singer. Petitioners need 1254 valids to get on the ballot.

The issue was the trustees vote for almost $100,000 for other elected officials (which was alleged to be a possible open meeting law violation). Two other officials resigned over the vote, including Trustee Paula Clingerman, who was also facing petitions. The other official to resign, Treasurer Sherry Brockie, was to be on one of the receipents of the raise. One of the article captions notes that Betty Brockie is the mother-in-law of Sherry Brockie.

Wisconsin: Frac Sand Mining recall scheduled in Cleveland

The recall of Cleveland Town Board Supervisor Joe Egloff has been set for August 12 (the same day as the statewide primary). The recall appears to be another of the frac sand mining recalls (Engloff opposes allowing mining to go on).

Kansas: Dennison Mayor resigns two weeks before recall vote

Dennison Mayor Audrey Oliverius resigned in the face of a August 5th recall vote over a violation of the Open Meeting laws. The violation occurred during a meeting on who to appoint to a vacant council seat. Petitioners needed 12 signatures for the recall, they got 29 (including three of the other four council members).   The recall vote will still take place due to the lateness of the resignation. The recall is for Oliverius' council seat. 

Texas: Signatures collected in recall of Hearne Councilwoman

Petitioners claim to have gotten enough signatures for Hearne councilmember Maxine Vaughn, with petitioners claiming they lost confidence in Vaughn (who has been on the council since 2009). No idea if there is any connection, but a resident was convicted of threatening Vaughn.

Ohio: City Council members now targeted in Richmond Heights recall

A second groups of recall have hit Richmond Heights. Mayor Miesha Wilson Headen has been targeted for a recall before, Now City Council President David Roche and members Eloise Henry and Donald O'Toole are also facing petitions. The council has been feuding with the mayor, especially since the firing of the city's Law Director.

New Jersey: Belleville councilwoman facing petitions

Belleville Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke is facing petitions over using a racial epithet on a answering machine for a fellow councilman several years ago. Burke has decided the voice was hers.

Michigan: Signature collection goes on in Comstock Township Supervisor recall

Comstock Township Supervisor Ann Nieuwenhuis is facing petitions after petitioners claim that Nieuwenhuis required them to pay for a $150 sign permit for his business (Semper Fitness) and refused to refund the money. It seems that the petition was rejected by the former zoning administrator, which Nieuwenhuis claims she has no power to accept or deny.

Petitioners need 1260 signatures, they claim to have 300-400, and need to have it by August 1 to get on the Election Day ballot. Petition language stays valid until October 11 (it was first approved on April 14).

Michigan: Jerome Township Clerk recall language approved

The recall attempt against Jerome Township Clerk Connie Methner over a failure to publish board meetings in a newspaper in a timely matter may be moving forward. Methner says that she will appeal the clarity hearing ruling in an attempt to stop the recall early in the process.

Ohio: Signatures collected against Waynesfield Councilman

Waynesfield councilman Bill Motter is facing petitions over his proposal to bring back the Board of Public Affairs. The petitioner stated that she first wanted to recall a different councilman (Dick Hardin), but Ohio law gives him a one year grace period (Hardin was sworn in in January).

Petitioners needs 35 signatures (15% of turnout). She claims to have gotten 33 signatures.

Massachusetts: Lancaster Selectmen miss meeting, recall election delayed

Some more intrigue in the recall of two Lancaster Selectmen, Jean Syria and Susan Smiley. Both missed a selectmen meeting on Tuesday, which (due to a lack of quorum on the three member board) meant that the recall elections could not be scheduled (the signatures have to be accepted by the board first).

Syria claimed she was out of town for a family issue, and Smiley said thunderstorms stopped her from coming. There's more on how it will be difficult to schedule the next selectmen meeting.

Apologies to the two officials, but there is a long and sordid history of elected bodies preventing recalls of their own members, sometimes with an outright refusal to schedule the election (here's an op-ed I wrote on the subject), so feel free to remain suspicious.   

Texas: Lubbock recalls are not fading away as Councilman faces threat of second recall in two years

Councilman Victor Hernandez is facing recall petitions over what the petitioner claims is a failure to return phone calls. Hernandez claims that the issue was fight over the local Democratic Party leadership. The petitioner, Leo Flores, was voted vice chair in what Hernandez called a "premature" election, but then another election was held and Flores was defeated by a candidate supported by Hernandez.

This would be Hernandez's second recall -- he survived one in November, at the same time that he was running for reelection. Since he was reelected, he is eligible to face a recall on the new term (after six month, which just passed).