Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Mayor and city council recall, Crofton, Nebraska (2023)
| Crofton mayor and city council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
James Murphy Larry Peitz |
| Recall status |
Recall defeated (Murphy & Peitz) |
| Recall election date |
| September 12, 2023 (Murphy) November 14, 2023 (Peitz) |
| Signature requirement |
127 (Evans) |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Nebraska Nebraska recall laws City council recalls Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Councilman Larry Peitz was scheduled for November 14, 2023, in Crofton, Nebraska. Voters retained Peitz.[1][2][3][4][5]
An effort to recall Mayor Robert Evans did not go to a vote. The petition to recall Evans did not collect the required 127 signatures and was not submitted by the August 22, 2023, deadline.[3]
A separate effort to recall Councilman James Murphy resulted in a recall election being scheduled. The election was scheduled for September 12, 2023. Voters retained Murphy.[4][6]
Recall vote
Murphy recall question
James Murphy recall, 2023
James Murphy won the Crofton City Council recall election on September 12, 2023.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
Yes |
27.0
|
82 | |||
| ✔ | No |
73.0
|
222 | ||
Total Votes |
304 | ||||
|
|
Peitz recall question
Larry Peitz recall, 2023
Larry Peitz won the Crofton City Council recall election on November 14, 2023.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
Yes |
44.8
|
107 | |||
| ✔ | No |
55.2
|
132 | ||
Total Votes |
239 | ||||
|
|
Recall supporters
Effort against Murphy
In the statement of reason for recall, Carissa Christensen, the principal circulator of the recall petition against Murphy, said, “Murphy has been consistently inconsistent. One time to save himself and not save Crofton thousands hiring CPA. He did not vote in 2022 to fix roads. He has had no opinions on important matters just did not vote or show up for meetings. He supports firing John Carter chief of police.”[7]
Effort against Evans and Peitz
Former Police Chief John Carter filed recall petitions against Evans and Peitz on June 23, 2023. Carter has alleged that Evans is implicitly biased, does not operate transparently, and uses his position to conduct personal attacks. He has alleged that Peitz violates Nebraska's public meeting laws, disposes of public property without notice, lacks transparency, and is hostile toward Crofton's law enforcement.[7][8]
Recall opponents
Response by Murphy
In his statement of defense, Murphy said, “These allegations against me are false. I did not support hiring a special CPA firm. I have only missed two meetings in 2 1/2 years. I did vote to spend all the street funds allocated for our streets to improve them. If you have any questions, please call me at 605-760-4105 before you decide to sign this petition.”[7]
Response by Evans and Peitz
Evans and Peitz declined to file statements of defense.[6]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Nebraska
Organizers needed 63 signatures to trigger a recall election for Murphy. They submitted 67 valid signatures.[8]
Recall organizers would have needed to collect 127 signatures to trigger a recall election for Evans, and 63 signatures for Peitz. Organizers did not submit signatures for Evans. Organizers submitted 71 signatures for Peitz, 64 of which were deemed valid.[3][8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, "Crofton Councilor Faces Recall Election," June 30, 2023
- ↑ Siouxland Proud, "Recall election for Crofton councilmember moves forward," July 10, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, "Crofton Mayor Avoids Recall, Voters To Decide Councilor’s Fate," August 23, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Siouxland Proud, "Recall of Crofton, Neb., city council member fails," September 12, 2023
- ↑ Siouxland Proud, "2nd recall election in Crofton, Neb. fails to oust city councilmember," November 14, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 KTIV, "Crofton to hold recall election on Sept. 12," July 17, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Siouxland Proud, "Recall election to take place for Crofton city councilmember; other recall petitions in works," July 3, 2023
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 News Channel Nebraska, "Crofton council member faces recall, mayor and council member recall petitions filed," July 3, 2023
