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Eileen Tesch recall, Algonac, Michigan (2018)
| Algonac, Michigan, Mayor recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 6, 2018 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2018 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Algonac Mayor Eileen Tesch from her office was initiated in December 2017. Recall organizer Amanda Gougeon initiated the recall petition, which required a clarity hearing by the St. Clair County Elections Commission prior to circulation.[1] During the clarity meeting on December 20, 2017, the commission rejected the petition language due to the word 'legally'. County Clerk Jay DeBoyer said the word implied an opinion or interpretation. Gougeon submitted a new petition that was approved on January 10, 2018.[2] Petitioners submitted enough signatures to put the recall on the November 6 ballot.[3]
Gougeon initiated a recall effort against two council members in 2017, which led to their resignations. She claimed that Tesch sought help from the county sheriff to remove signature collectors from a park during this recall effort. Tesch was first elected to office in November 2016. The mayor offered no response to the recall petition on December 1, 2017.[1]
Recall vote
The recall election was held on November 6, 2018. Eileen Tesch was defeated by Helen Meldrum.
| Eileen Tesch Recall Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Helen Meldrum | 671 | 42.58% | ||
 Eileen Tesch | 491 | 31.15% | ||
| Lori Warner | 414 | 26.27% | ||
| Election results via: The Times Herald | ||||
Recall supporters
The recall petition filed against Tesch included the following language:
| “ |
On June 22, Mayor Eileen Tesch called St. Clair County Dispatch twice seeking aid from the county sheriff’s (department) to remove a group of citizens at a public park, at a public event, legally collecting on recall petitions for former councilpersons Irene Bird and Joe Nugent. In a ‘Voice’ newspaper article published on June 30, Mayor Eileen Tesch denied making the calls. A Freedom of Information Act request to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Mayor Eileen Tesch called not once, but twice.[1][4] |
” |
| —Amanda Gougeon (2017) | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
State law requires the county elections commission to hold a clarity hearing on each recall petition to determine if the petition language is clear enough for potential signatories to understand. The St. Clair County Elections Commission includes the county clerk, county treasurer, and probate judge.[1]
A clarity meeting was held on December 20, 2017, and the commission rejected the petition language due to the word 'legally'. County Clerk Jay DeBoyer said the word implied an opinion or interpretation.[5] Gougeon submitted a new petition that was approved on January 10, 2018, allowing the recall effort to move forward.[2] Petitioners submitted 391 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot; 357 signatures were required.[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Times Herald, "Recall language filed for Algonac mayor," December 1, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Voice, "Recall effort against Algonac mayor moves forward," January 13, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Times Herald, "Recall election set for Algonac mayor," August 2, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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