Ned Piper and Merritt Ketcham recall, Cowlitz County PUD Commissioners, Washington, 2009
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A Cowlitz County, Washington Superior Court judge decided to throw out the recall petition of Cowlitz PUD Commissioners Ned Piper and Merritt “Buz” Ketcham in February 2009.[1] [2]
Judge Stephen Warning said that the charges for recall lacked "legal sufficiency." "It is not for me to determine if the allegations are true, just to determine if there is a basis beyond mere belief or surmise for the allegations," Warning said. [1]
On February 6, County attorneys approved the ballot language of the recall petition, which was initially rejected the previous week because it did not include an oath from petitioners, according to Cowlitz County Auditor Kris Swanson.[2]
Kelso City Councilman Dan Myers and former city planning commissioner Jerry Reagor headed up the petition. The new petition included Bill Ammons, a Castle Rock resident who owns a Kelso barbershop, and the third name on the petition, along with Piper and Ketcham.[2]
The judge will rule as to whether the charges meet the standard of a recall, but not whether the charges are accurate, according to state law. If the judge rules the petition valid, recall petitioners then would need to collect about 6,100 signatures to make a ballot. An election could be held as early as May or as late as November.[2]
The recall was put into action after an “overly generous” annual salary increases to PUD senior staff, ranging from 4 percent to 22 percent, according to the petitioners.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Daily News Online: "Judge halts PUD recall effort," Feb 28, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Daily News Online: "PUD recall petition back on track," Feb 3, 2009
