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Township supervisor and treasurer recall, Otisco Township, Michigan (2022)
| Otisco Township Board of Trustees recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Paula Byrne |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Otisco Township, Michigan, to recall Supervisor Desmond Pike and Treasurer Paula Byrne was initiated in April 2022.[1] On May 18, 2022, petitions were approved for circulation by the Ionia County Election Commission.[2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by Otisco Township resident Cara Johnson in response to the passage of the 2021-2022 township budget that was a copy of the budget used in the previous fiscal year. Johnson previously served as the township's treasurer.[1]
Recall opponents
In the clarity hearing held on May 4, 2022, Pike said that the decision to use the same budget in 2021-2022 was based partially on what he described as his own lack of experience with budgets and that he saw the previous budget as being sound. He said, "Yes, I made the budget. Yes, I made it clear that I copied Joe Daller’s budget, because I did not know what to look for or what to expect. We never had money problems with Joe’s budget, so since we don’t have money problems, I assumed that it was a good budget."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
A recall petition must first be filed with the appropriate board, which then holds a hearing to determine whether the reason for the petition is "factual" and "clear;" that is the only criteria considered by the board to approve or reject the petition.
Once approved by the board, the petitioner must amass a number of signatures equal to 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the last general election in the electoral district of the officer sought to be recalled.[4] The petitioner has 60 days to collect these signatures beginning on the date the first signature is collected; however, the petition must be submitted no later than 180 days after it was approved by the board. For recall of state officials, the petition is submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State; for local officials, the petition is submitted to the county or township clerk in the county where the official resides.
Petitions were first filed by Johnson on April 20, 2022. On May 4, 2022, the Ionia County Election Commission rejected the recall petition against Pike in a clarity hearing. Recall organizers withdrew the petition against Byrne after the Pike hearing, with the intention of refiling both petitions.[3] New petitions were approved by the election commission on May 18, 2022.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Daily News, "Attempt underway to recall Otisco Township supervisor, treasurer," April 29, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsecond - ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Daily News, "Otisco Township recall petition denied, sponsor refiles," May 6, 2022
- ↑ Michigan Legislature, "Michigan Compiled Laws Section 168.955," accessed February 16, 2016
