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Marilynn Lynn recall, Bridgeport, Washington (2014)
| Bridgeport Mayor recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| June 3, 2014 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2014 Recalls in Washington Washington recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Marilynn Lynn in Bridgeport, Washington from her position was launched on January 21, 2014.[1][2] Lynn was recalled.[3]
Election results
| Recall Mayor Marilynn Lynn[4] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 123 | 54.67% | ||
| Retain | 102 | 45.33% | ||
Background
Bridgeport resident Mike Knox initiated the recall effort against Lynn by delivering a charge to the Douglas County Auditor's office. Among other charges, Knox alleged that Lynn mishandled public record requests and illegally hired a city employee.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Washington
A notice of intent to recall was first filed on January 21, 2014. A hearing on the sufficiency of the recall charges took place on February 4, 2014. At that public hearing, Douglas County Superior Court Judge John Hotchkiss ruled that four of the 13 complaints filed in the notice of intent to recall could constitute grounds for recall. Those complaints were:[5]
- Illegal direction to the Planning Commission
- Illegal hiring of a city employee
- Failure to respond to appeal of a denied public records request
- Failure to follow the direction of the city council to correct an error contained in a city ordinance
Hotchkiss ruled that one charge leveled against Lynn (namely, that she hired an employee after the city council decided not to) was indeed sufficient legal grounds for recall. As a result of this ruling, Knox was able to begin circulating a petition to place the recall on a ballot. State law dictates that 35 percent of residents must sign a petition for the recall of a mayor. In 2011, 242 Bridgeport residents voted for mayor, meaning that Knox needed to gather signatures from at least 85 registered voters to place the recall on the ballot.[1][6][7]
In the last week of February 2014, the city council asked Lynn to step down. "They asked me to go because of the shame [they said] I have brought upon Bridgeport," she said. On February 28, 2014, Lynn appealed Hotchkiss' ruling.[8][9] On March 11, 2014, Hotchkiss denied Lynn's appeal.[10]
Knox began circulating the recall petition on March 28, 2014. He needed to collect 85 signatures in order to trigger a recall election. On April 9, 2014, Knox submitted petitions containing 114 signatures to the Douglas County Auditor. A recall election was scheduled for June 3, 2014, with ballots set to be mailed out by May 16.[11][12][13][14][15]
Aftermath
On June 18, 2014, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Conklin began serving as interim mayor. The council will had 90 days from June 18 to appoint a new mayor to serve the remainder of Lynn's term.[3]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Quad City Herald, "Local man requests recall of Bridgeport mayor," January 22, 2014
- ↑ The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, "Bridgeport man calls for mayor's recall," January 23, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Quad City Herald, "Mayor Lynn gets the boot," June 12, 2014
- ↑ Douglas County, Washington, "June 3, 2014 Special Election - Final Results," accessed June 20, 2014
- ↑ The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, "Judge hears from resident seeking mayoral recall," February 4, 2014
- ↑ Quad City Herald, "City council discusses recall of Bridgeport Mayor," January 29, 2014
- ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Question of Bridgeport Mayor recall sufficient for public vote," February 21, 2014
- ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Bridgeport mayor appeals judge's recall decision," March 1, 2014
- ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Bridgeport council asks mayor to resign over recall issue," March 3, 2014
- ↑ Quad City Herald, "Recall correction: a clarification to last week's story on the recall of Bridgeport mayor," March 26, 2014
- ↑ Quad City Herald, "Recall request moves forward to petition phase," April 2, 2014
- ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Petition filed in mayor's recall," April 10, 2014
- ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Bridgeport Mayor's recall election set," April 17, 2014
- ↑ Quad City Herald, "Recall election coming this June," April 23, 2014
- ↑ Quad City Herald, "Recall election first count released," June 5, 2014
