Linda Eason-Harris recall, Meigs, Georgia (2016)
| Meigs Mayor recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| May 24, 2016 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in Georgia Georgia recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Meigs, Georgia, to recall Mayor Linda Eason-Harris from her position was launched in October 2015. Recall supporters received an approved petition on November 9, 2015, and submitted signatures to the Thomas County Elections Superintendent on December 10, 2015. The signatures were verified and a recall election took place on May 24, 2016.[1][2] The recall was approved by voters.[3]
Recall vote
A recall vote was held on May 24, 2016.[4] Voters were asked if Eason-Harris should be recalled from office.[5]
| Recall of Mayor Linda Eason-Harris | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 94 | 66.2% | ||
| Retain | 48 | 33.8% | ||
Recall supporters
The "Taking a Stand" committee initiated a recall drive against Eason-Harris due to concerns about the mayor's management of the city. The group, led by local business owner Lori White, cited the following reasons for their effort:[1][6][7]
- Arrests for stalking, threatening and theft of public funds
- Charges of violation of oath of office and criminal interference of government property
- Lawsuits by five former city employees due to hostile work environment
- Potential loss of insurance coverage for city due to increased risk of coverage
On May 5, 2016, a grand jury indicted Eason-Harris on charges of theft and violating an oath of public office. These indictments were related to two incidents where the mayor used public funds for personal uses.[8]
On May 16, 2016, the Meigs City Council voted 2-1 to impeach Eason-Harris due to malfeasance and violating her oath of office. The vote did not remove the mayor from office as all three members needed to approve her impeachment.[9]
Response by Linda Eason-Harris
Eason-Harris did not issue a formal response to the application for recall petition approved on October 28, 2015. In an interview with The Moultrie Observer, Eason-Harris said, "I'm gonna let it run its course. I don't think they'll get enough signatures to recall me."[1]
In response to a failed impeachment effort, Eason-Harris said: "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going away. If I get recalled, I don't need a title to do what God sent me to do. I don't need this title of "mayor.""[9]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Georgia
The "Taking a Stand" committee submitted 62 signatures to the Thomas County Elections Superintendent as part of an application for recall petition. This application was approved and Eason-Harris had 10 days to submit an appeal to the application. Eason-Harris declined an appeal, allowing the committee to begin circulation of recall petitions on November 9, 2015. Recall supporters submitted approximately 145 signatures to county officials on December 10, 2015, with 116 signatures necessary to force a recall.[2] The Thomas County Elections Superintendent had 30 days after receipt to certify signatures. There were enough verified signatures to force a recall election on May 24, 2016.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Linda Eason-Harris' 'Meigs Mayor'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Recall campaigns in Georgia
- Political recall efforts, 2015
- Political recall efforts, 2016
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Moultrie Observer, "Meigs mayor passes on recall appeal," November 7, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thomasville Times-Enterprise, "Meigs recall petitions turned over to Scoggins," December 11, 2015
- ↑ WTXL, "Meigs Residents Vote to Recall Mayor Linda Harris," May 24, 2016
- ↑ Thomasville Times-Enterprise, "Meigs recall petition successful," December 21, 2015
- ↑ The Moultrie Observer, "Harris asks delay in increasing her authority," April 20, 2016
- ↑ Thomasville Times-Enterprise, "Meigs recall effort takes step," October 28, 2015
- ↑ Live5News, "Meigs' trouble continue; mayor arrested," October 22, 2015
- ↑ WTXL, "Grand Jury Indicts Meigs Mayor," May 5, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Thomasville Times-Enterprise, "Defiant mayor survives recall effort," May 17, 2016
.svg.png){kind=small}
