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Lisa DuVernay and Derek Palosaari recall, Cottonwood, Arizona (2023-2024)
| Lisa DuVernay and Derek Palosaari recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Derek Palosaari |
| Recall status |
Recall approved (DuVernay) |
| Recall election date |
| November 5, 2024 (DuVernay) |
| Signature requirement |
518 signatures (Palosaari) |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall City Councilwoman Lisa DuVernay was scheduled for November 5, 2024, in Cottonwood, Arizona. Voters recalled DuVernay.[1][2][3]
The filing deadline for candidates interested in running against DuVernay in the recall election was September 6, 2024. Chris Dowell filed to run.[4][5]
An effort to recall City Councilman Derek Palosaari did not go to a vote after signatures were not submitted by the deadline to do so.[1][6]
Recall vote
General election
Special general election for Cottonwood City Council
Chris Dowell defeated incumbent Lisa DuVernay in the special general election for Cottonwood City Council on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris Dowell (Nonpartisan) | 66.3 | 3,188 | |
| Lisa DuVernay (Nonpartisan) | 33.7 | 1,621 | ||
| Total votes: 4,809 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Recall supporters
According to the petition to recall DuVernay, she "showed pornographic video at the Cottonwood City Council meeting," and "appeared to threaten legal action against the city if the mayor did not instruct staff to draft a city ordinance which had already been voted against by the majority of the council." The petition to recall DuVernay also said, "On Oct. 3, 2023, when concerns were addressed about the appearance of nepotism if her husband sat on the Planning and Zoning Commission, DuVernay insisted she would abstain from voting on any issue on which it might appear inappropriate. She then voted her husband onto P&Z. Because DuVernay does not appear to understand the policies and procedures of the council and city staff and because she does not appear to be concerned about wasting taxpayer dollars in pursuit of her personal agenda, I request a recall vote of the citizens of the city of Cottonwood, Arizona so the taxpayers can decide if she should continue to serve on the City Council."[1]
According to the petition to recall Palosaari, "At the Dec. 19, 2023 Cottonwood City Council meeting, it was revealed that council member Derek Palosaari admitted to sexually harassing city of Cottonwood employees" and "The admission was made before the mayor, city attorney and city manager. The admission was confirmed by a human resources investigation. There is no mechanism to remove a City Council member except the recall process; therefore this petition seeks to recall him from the position to which he was appointed."[1]
Cathy Ransom filed both recall petitions.[1]
Recall opponents
Palosaari said, "I want to make it clear that I have never, ever sexually harassed any city employee.”[7]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arizona
No specific grounds are required for recall in Arizona. To begin the recall process, supporters must file an application for a recall petition that must be approved by the relevant election office. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast for all candidates at the last election for the relevant office in 120 days.[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
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Cottonwood, Arizona
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 JournalAZ, "Recalls target two Cottonwood City Council members: Derek Palosaari and Lisa DuVernay," January 10, 2024
- ↑ JournalAZ, "Cottonwood City Council talks budget, sets recall vote Nov. 5," May 15, 2024
- ↑ JournalAZ, "Christopher Dowell unseats Cottonwood City Councilwoman Lisa DuVernary in recall," November 6, 2024
- ↑ The Verde Independent, "DuVernay recall election set for Nov. 5," May 8, 2024
- ↑ The Verde Independent, "Former Cottonwood interim police chief files to run in recall election," September 6, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Cottonwood City Clerk Tami Mayes," May 20, 2024
- ↑ JournalAZ, "Cottonwood City Council talks inter-council rifts & Palosaari’s sexual misconduct," January 25, 2024
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Recall," accessed October 16, 2023
