Goodrich – Allegations of failure to balance the village budget have prompted recall petitions aimed at removing four of five council members.
Petitions seeking to oust Councilmembers Richard Horton, David Lucik and Pete Morey, as well as Council President Edmund York, were filed by village resident Greg Tankersley on Oct 2. Councilmember Patricia Wartella was not named.
A clarity hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 16 at the Genesee County Courthouse with Judge Robert Weiss, Genesee County Clerk Michael Carr and Treasurer Daniel Kiddee presiding. The number of signatures needed would be 20 percent of the registered voters in the village who voted in the last gubernatorial election.
‘The village council can’t continue to spend more money than they are taking in, and our residents can’t afford to wait the additional 20 months of their terms to see if we will run out of money,’said Tankersley. ‘If that happens, the village will be out of money and that means village taxes will go up. Right now, the council is spending $22,000 more per month than what they are taking in.?
Councilmember Rick Horton said Tankersley is not taking into account that the money spent was set aside for the new bridge, repair of dam, the traffic light at Erie street and M-15, and a new walking path.
‘The money for these projects was either funded by the state or accumulated in previous years,? said Horton.
Financing the recall can be costly, said Village Administrator Jakki Sidge, referring to the recall in 2005 that cost taxpayers $1,892.96.
‘People need to take a look at what they are signing if they are recalling this council,? Sidge said. ‘This council made a pledge that they would get on board with a 30 percent reduction in taxes and still be able to continue the health, safety and welfare projects that have been in the works for a number of years.?
This is the third village council recall petition filed since November 1998 and the second recall for Councilman David Lucik. Sidge said the recall in 1998 was over a road paving contract.
‘That was the year that residents either didn’t want roads paved or didn’t like the way the special assessment was set up,? she said. Marsha Rockafelow, David Lucik, Enid Pearson and Tom Gordon were successfully recalled. Not recalled in that election was Keith Walworth.
On Feb. 15, 2005 residents headed to the polls to vote whether to recall Village Council President Keith Walworth, President Pro Tem Adam Kline, and councilpersons Angela Adamec, Mike Glynn, and Jayme Simmonds, based on an allegation that there was a failure to schedule an election for the disincorporation of the village charter of the Village of Goodrich when requested to do so. That recall successfully outsted all five council members and replaced them with all of the council members presently serving on the village council.