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Gene Paul recall, Oakdale, Louisiana (2022)
| Gene Paul recall |
|---|
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Louisiana Louisiana recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Gene Paul was initiated in February 2022.[1] Recall organizers failed to submit enough signatures to put the recall election on the ballot.[2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was initiated in response to an audit that found that former City Clerk Melissa Schaefer stole over $1 million from the city through unauthorized payroll transactions.[3]
Recall opponents
Paul responded to the recall effort:[1]
| “ | I take this recall petition very seriously and I understand in this situation the citizens of Oakdale have been let down and are looking for someone to blame. Although, I have not done anything legally wrong, it is disheartening that it happened under my administration. As Mayor of a municipality, I am required to hire a city clerk and an auditor to handle the finances of our city, which I did. With that being said, I relied on those people to have the city’s best interest and fulfill their duties over finances. Moving forward I will continue to work hard for this city, as I have the last 9 years. We have made so many positive improvements to Oakdale and will continue to do that, just since Hurricane Laura the city has received 11.5 million dollars in grants & other funds for current and upcoming projects; which include the digital water meters that have already been installed, as well as upgrades to the outdated water wells, water ground storage and several lift stations. We are currently upgrading our computer software and are looking forward to renovating city hall with help from our state senator and representative. We hope to continue to move forward and focus on the positive things happening in Oakdale.[4] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Louisiana
The number of valid signatures required to force a recall election is 33% of eligible voters in the district. Completed petitions must be submitted within 180 days of being filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State. The registrar of voters has 15 working days to certify the recall petition.
Recall organizers were required to submit 934 valid signatures to put the recall election on the ballot. Petitioners were able to gather about 600 signatures.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KPLC, "Some Oakdale residents file recall petition against mayor," February 8, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KPLC, "Organizers respond after Oakdale mayoral recall fails," July 27, 2022
- ↑ KPLC, "Audit on Oakdale City Hall reports more money missing," April 8, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
