Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Mayor and city council recall, Helena, Montana (2020)
| Helena Mayor and City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Andres Haladay Heather O'Loughlin |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Montana Montana recall laws Mayoral recalls City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Helena, Montana, to recall Mayor Wilmot Collins and city commissioners Andres Haladay and Heather O'Loughlin was initiated in June 2020.[1] The recall effort ended in September 2020 after a district court judge ruled that the recall couldn't move forward.[2][3]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by a group called Helena Recall 2020, which accused the officials of violating Montana's open meeting laws following the hiring of Melinda Reed as interim city manager on March 9, 2020.[1]
Recall opponents
All three officials responded to the recall effort. O'Loughlin said in a statement, "All members of the Commission were involved in giving recommendations and providing feedback on the appointment of a temporary, interim city manager. We received public comment in advance of the meeting, as well as, on the night of the vote."[1]
Haladay said, "I heard thoughts, recommendations and input from every member of the Commission regarding the appointment of an Interim City Manager. I also recall the Commission receiving significant public comment both before and on the night of the appointment."[1]
Collins said, "What I will tell you is that every member of the commission participated, and deliberated in the process of hiring the interim City Manager. We received quite a bit of public comments. It saddens me to see our community going through this."[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Montana
Recall organizers are given 90 days to collect valid signatures equaling 20% of registered voters in the city. Petitions were approved for circulation on June 12, 2020, and would have needed about 4,300 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot. [1]
On September 1, 2020, Montana 1st Judicial District Court Judge Mike Menahan ruled in favor of the city of Helena in a lawsuit seeking to end the recall. City attorneys argued that petitions contained falsehoods and misconceptions. The attorneys said that the petition shouldn't have been approved for circulation.[2][3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Independent Record, "Petitions to recall mayor, two city commissioners circulating Helena," June 22, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KTVH, "City of Helena seeks to block recall effort against mayor, commissioners," July 6, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Independent Record, "Court blocks Helena mayor, commissioners' recall petitions," September 1, 2020
