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Jennifer Hobbs recall, Wynne, Arkansas (2024)
| Jennifer Hobbs recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 5, 2024 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in Arkansas Arkansas recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Jennifer Hobbs took place on November 5, 2024, in Wynne, Arkansas. Hobbs retained her position as mayor as a result of the recall vote.
Hobbs was re-elected as mayor of Wynne in 2022.
Recall vote
Jennifer Hobbs recall, 2024
Jennifer Hobbs won the Mayor of Wynne recall election on November 5, 2024.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
Yes |
42.9
|
1,225 | |||
| ✔ | No |
57.1
|
1,633 | ||
Total Votes |
2,858 | ||||
|
|
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by a group called Always A Jacket in response to the city's handling of the aftermath of an EF-3 tornado that destroyed houses and Wynn High School on March 31, 2023.[1][2] The group issued the following statement:[3]
| “ |
It has become abundantly clear that Mayor Hobbs was not adequately prepared to respond to the tornado. Her recovery strategy has been disastrous, and she was unable to draw up a plan for restoration. I have personally spoken with numerous Wynne residents who feel ignored or forgotten. Housing is the biggest issue. There is no adequate option for displaced residents whose time in FEMA trailers will soon end in October. Some already experienced a mandatory exit from those trailers this summer. Mayor Hobbs has failed to develop a real construction plan with vocational groups who offer free labor to rebuild homes, and she hasn’t secured any grants to that end. On top of which, Mayor Hobbs has refused to rebuild a historic park building in the heart of Ward 4, the most low-income ward in Wynne, which was regularly used for structural recreational activities. Hobbs received $500k in insurance money for the building but has yet to offer an adequate answer to Wynne residents as to what she has done with those funds. Wynne is too small of a town to recover without all hands on deck headed by the city’s lead official. Hobbs has done none of this, and this is why Wynne residents are going to vote in favor of the referendum to remove her on November 5th.[4] |
” |
Recall opponents
Hobbs responded to the recall effort:[5]
| “ |
I have lived in this community for over 30 years, I have chosen to raise my family here and I have chosen to be an active member in this community. To say that I have anything but the best intentions for the community of Wynne is ludicrous. Since the day I was elected by the community for my first term, my door has been open. I have repeatedly invited community members to sit down and have a conversation with me, and several have taken advantage of that. I will continue to do my job to the very best of my ability. I want what is best for our community as a whole. No one is prepared to deal with a disaster, especially not a disaster that rips your town in half, forever changing the landscape and the lives of people in your community. Recovery does not happen overnight; recovery doesn't happen in six months or 18 months or 24 months. Recovery takes time. Every recovery is unique, there are no two alike. Private citizen recovery is not and cannot be funded by city funds, and the city does not receive funds from any organization for personal citizens recover. Our community has been blessed to have Leanne Lovell volunteer, less than 12 hours after the tornado passed, to not only run the distribution center to fill immediate needs but lead the long-term recovery team. We would be in a completely different place if she had not stepped up to help her community. She has done an excellent job. The decision to rebuild or not rebuild the building at E.U. Deshay Park does not rest in my hands. The decision should have been made earlier this spring by the City Council; however, they chose to delay the vote until September. As I have stated previously, and in accordance with Arkansas law, the city council decides how the city's money is spent, not the mayor. The mayor only votes on city council matters if a decision is deadlocked by a tie. Until a decision is made by the City Council, the insurance proceeds will remain in the certificate of deposit account it has been placed in. The City of Wynne is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), just like every other municipality in the state and any citizen of Arkansas can request our records. The city has received and answered FOIA requests sent by one of the founding members of "Always A Jacket." The continued accusation that insurance proceeds are missing or have been spent makes it clear that the founders of the group have not done their due diligence with reviewing the information or have chosen to intentionally mislead community members to further their cause. Additionally, city council members receive budget information each month prior to the council meeting. At least one of the council members have signed the petition supporting the recall so this council member either lacks the ability to read a budget report, or again, has chosen to deceive the community to further the agenda of "Always A Jacket." Every city council member's contact information is listed on the city website, beyond that, I have an open-door policy and happily encourage participation in local government and healthy debate. I will not tolerate yelling to get your point across, calling names, holding grudges or personal vendettas. Racism, slander, libel, and defamation of character will not take place during a city council meeting, behind closed doors at city hall, or any of the city departments. The only way to have a successful community is to have knowledgeable and involved community members, and you can not be knowledgeable without asking questions and being willing to listen to the answers, whether the answer is something you want to hear or not.[4] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arkansas
No specific grounds are required for recall in Arkansas. To get recalls on the ballot against mayors or members of boards of directors, supporters must collect signatures equal to 35% of ballots cast for all candidates for the office at the preceding primary at which the officials were nominated or elected. To get recalls on the ballot against school board members, supporters must collect signatures equal to 35% of eligible electors. There is no time limit for collecting signatures.[6][7]
Recall organizers were required to submit 1,092 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot. The Cross County Clerk’s office found 1,174 signatures valid.[8]
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Arkansas, "Tornado Outbreak of 2023," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ KAIT, "Group collects enough signatures to get mayoral recall on ballot," August 6, 2024
- ↑ THV11, "Wynne residents move to remove Mayor Jennifer Hobbs from office," August 5, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ THV11, "Arkansas abortion proposal won't be on November ballot after court ruling," August 5, 2024
- ↑ 2020 Arkansas Code, "§ 14-47-112 (2020)," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ Bill Track 50, "AR HB1933," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Wynne Progress, "Petition filed for recall election of Wynne Mayor Jennifer Hobbs," August 6, 2024
