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Sean Denison and Dan Vigansky recall, Buchanan, Michigan (2023-2024)
| Sean Denison and Dan Vigansky recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Dan Vigansky |
| Recall status |
Resigned (Denison) |
| Recall election date |
| November 5, 2024 (canceled) |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Mayor Sean Denison was scheduled for November 5, 2024, in Buchanan, Michigan. The election was canceled after Denison resigned on August 12, 2024.[1][2][3]
An effort to recall City Commissioner Dan Vigansky did not go to a vote.[2]
In Buchanan, Michigan, the mayor is selected by the city commission from among their number at the first meeting following a regular city election.[4]
Recall vote
A recall election was scheduled for November 5, 2024. Scott A. King filed to run against Denison. The election was canceled following Denison's resignation and did not appear on the ballot.[3]
Recall supporters
Effort against Denison
The recall effort for Denison was organized by Buchanan residents Carla Johnson and Monroe Lemay. Petitions stated that the grounds for recall were that "City Commissioner Sean Denison suspended Benjamin Eldridge as the Buchanan City Manager."[5]
Effort against Vigansky
Jacob Brown filed three petitions seeking the recall of Vigansky. One petition alleged that Vigansky retaliated against and harassed city employees who had filed grievances against Eldridge. Two alleged that Vigansky made inappropriate comments about Black people.[1]
Recall opponents
Response by Denison
Denison issued a statement after the recall was filed. He said, "As many of you know, a recall petition was filed against me last week because of my decision to suspend the City Manager, with full pay and benefits, until the City could conclude an investigation of employee workplace complaints against the City Manager. These complaints were shared with all members of the Commission, who were asked to keep the complaints confidential to protect all parties, until the City could investigate the complaints. If confidentiality had been maintained, the City could have left all employees working in place until the conclusion of the investigation. However, one Commissioner could not honor this request and disclosed the employee complaints to the City Manager before a full and fair investigation could even be started."[5]
Denison said that the decision to suspend Eldridge was made "to protect all of the parties, including the City Manager, from further workplace complaints or claims of retaliation."[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
No specific grounds are required for recall in Michigan. To get a recall on the ballot in Michigan, recall supporters must collect signatures equal in number to 25% of voters in the jurisdiction in the last gubernatorial election. They have 60 days between the collection of the first signature and the collection of the last signature on the petition. Recall petitions are eligible to collect signatures for 180 days.[6][7][8]
Petitions were initially filed on November 17, 2023. The Berrien County Election Commission held a clarity hearing on December 4, 2023, at which the petitions were rejected due to a spelling error.[9] A second round of petitions were filed, and a new clarity hearing was scheduled for December 18, 2023. Both petitions were approved.[10][11]
On March 4, 2024, organizers submitted signatures for the recall of Vigansky. Of the signatures submitted, 353 were found to be valid. To schedule a recall election, 380 would have been needed.[12]
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
- Buchanan, Michigan
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Leader Publications, "Efforts to recall Buchanan mayor continue," December 4, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Leader Publications, "Buchanan mayor to face recall vote," May 5, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 WVPE, "Buchanan mayor quits after months of arguing with critics," August 14, 2024
- ↑ City Charter of Buchanan, Michigan, "Section 4.5. - Election of Mayor," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Leader Publications, "Buchanan mayor releases statement on decision to suspend city manager," November 21, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Act 116 of 1954: 168.955 Recall petition; number of signatures; certification." accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ 'Michigan Election Law, "Act 116 of 1954: 168.961 Recall petition; filing; receipt; duties of filing official; duties of city or township clerk; certificate; duties of village clerk; use of qualified voter file." accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Officials' Manual, "Chapter 18 Recall Process," August 2017
- ↑ WSBT, "Election commission rejects petition to recall Buchanan mayor," December 4, 2023
- ↑ WSJM, "Recall language against Buchanan Mayor rejected; new language submitted," December 4, 2023
- ↑ LeaderPublications, "Recall wording approved for Buchanan commissioner, mayor," December 21, 2023
- ↑ The Herald-Palladium, "Petition signatures filed to recall embattled Buchanan commissioner," March 6, 2024
