Township supervisor and treasurer recall, Otisco Township, Michigan (2023)
| Desmond Pike and Paula Byrne recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Paula Byrne |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws Mayoral recalls City official recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Otisco Township, Michigan, to recall Supervisor Desmond Pike and Treasurer Paula Byrne was initiated in March 2023.[1] The recall didn't make it to the ballot.[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. Johnson circulated a recall petition in 2022 targeting Pike and Byrne with the same petition language.[1]
Recall opponents
Pike did not participate in the clarity hearing for this recall effort, but he did speak at the hearing for the 2022 recall. He 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.
On March 3, 2023, the Ionia County Election Commission approved the recall petition in a clarity hearing. Petitioners had until August 30, 2023, to collect 260 valid signatures to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
See also
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- Mayoral recalls
- City official recalls
- Lynda Sower recall, Otisco Township, Michigan (2023)
- Township supervisor and treasurer recall, Otisco Township, Michigan (2022)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Daily News, "Recall effort can move forward against Otisco Township supervisor, treasurer," March 6, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Voter Information Center, "November Consolidated - 11/7/2023," accessed October 24, 2023
- ↑ 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
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