Pontiac- Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson has received 10 recall petitions thus far in 2006, from five different municipalities.
She may be receiving number 11 this week, the fourth seeking approval of petition language to recall Ortonville Village Council President Sue Bess, after three failed attempts by village resident Jane Derry.
The Oakland County Election Commission, consisting of Johnson, Chief Probate Court Judge Barry M. Grant, and County Treasurer Patrick Dohany, denied on Oct. 23 recall petition language submitted by Derry, saying it needed to be more specific and include dates.
The language submitted by Derry read: ‘Sue Bess has abused her power as village president by intimidating her village council members to vote according to her recommendations. She recommended the council to hire an underqualified personal friend into a supervisor village position. She recommended the council approve to pay over $25,000 for unwarranted drain improvements that benefitted only the Village Pub, personal friends to Bess. We do not believe this is the appropriate use for village tax dollars.?
Dohany suggested making the wording ‘less emotional,? referring to the ‘intimidating? and ‘underqualified? descriptives in the language.
Derry said she plans to add dates after Grant said that without them, voters would not know if the alleged offenses happened 10 years ago or yesterday. She was planning to send in new recall language as soon as last week.
‘I thought it was very positive, just to adjust the language to include dates,? said Derry, who filed her first petition language application in August, albeit the incorrect form. A second form was filed later that month, and a hearing Sept. 14 in front of the election commission ended with denial for clarity. The third form was received by the clerk’s office Oct. 10.
Bess feels the latest decision to deny the new language was a good one and calls the experience ‘an emotional roller coaster.?
‘It’s a waste of taxpayer money,? she adds. ‘It has taken up the clerk’s time, the judge’s time, and courtroom time. A lot of people are involved in this.?
The election commission decides only if recall petition language is clear and concise, Johnson explained, not whether is is accurate by law.
‘By our standards, the questions are: Is it specific, concise and understandable by the public first and foremost; and secondly, is it specific enough that the person being recalled can defend (herself) against it??
Johnson said it is an expensive venture to recall, but a necessary part of the law to make sure people have a choice in who will represent them. Taxpayers will foot the bill for a recall election.
The last recall petition in Oakland County that led to an election was against the mayor of Pontiac in 2003. That recall failed.