Lou O'Donnell and John Peterson recall, New Buffalo, Michigan (2016)
| New Buffalo Mayor and City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
John Peterson |
| Recall status |
Recall defeated |
| Recall election date |
| September 8, 2016 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws Mayoral recalls City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in New Buffalo, Michigan, to recall Mayor Lou O'Donnell and Mayor Pro-Tem John Peterson was initiated in May 2016. Ray Kirkus initially submitted recall language against both officials on May 18, 2016, but the language was denied by county elections officials. His second petition was approved for circulation on June 13, 2016.[1][2]
Peterson resigned from office in September 2016. The recall against O'Donnell was approved for the November general election ballot on September 8, 2016.[3] The effort to recall O'Donnell was defeated in the election.
Recall vote
A recall election for the mayor's office took place on November 8, 2016. Kirkus challenged O'Donnell in the election.[4]
| Recall of Lou O'Donnell | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Lou O'Donnell | 475 | 58.93% | ||
 Ray Kirkus | 331 | 41.07% | ||
| Election results via: Harbor Country News (Accessed: November 9, 2016) | ||||
Recall supporters
Kirkus accused O'Donnell and Peterson of wasting taxpayer money after the city manager was authorized by the New Buffalo City Council to sue the city's planning commission. His petition suggested that the city spent at least $100,000 as part of the lawsuit.[1]
Kirkus is the vice chairman of the New Buffalo Planning Commission. In May 2016, the city council voted 3-0 to dismiss charges of violating the commission's bylaws and zoning laws against Kirkus and commissioner Pat Fisher.[1]
Recall opponents
O'Donnell made the following comment after the clarity hearing:
| “ |
The recall petition filed by Ray Kirkus is a blatant abuse of the process. He is using the recall as revenge against John and I for charges brought against him on the Planning Commission. He’s using a loophole in our political process that will potentially cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. [5] |
” |
| —Lou O'Donnell (2016), [1] | ||
He also indicated that a portion of the legal fees cited in petition was the attorney's fee for representation used by Kirkus and Fisher.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
Kirkus had to submit valid signatures totaling at least 25 percent of the city's voters to force a recall election. A total of 159 signatures was required with each signature only valid for 60 days after collection.[2]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harbor Country News, "New Buffalo recall petition language OK’d," June 14, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WNDU, "Petition accepted to recall New Buffalo Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem," June 13, 2016
- ↑ Harbor Country News, "New Buffalo City recall election likely to join crowded November ballot," September 7, 2016
- ↑ The Herald-Palladium, "Kirkus to challenge O'Donnell in recall," September 25, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
