Marcus Muhammad recall, Benton Harbor, Michigan (2021-2022)
| Benton Harbor mayor recall |
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| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
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| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to recall Mayor Marcus Muhammad was initiated in October 2021. Four recall petitions were submitted to the Berrien County Elections Commission. Three of those petitions were rejected over issues with clarity. Another petition, which was the third to be submitted, was approved by the elections commission on November 29, 2021. Petitioners had 180 days to submit 595 signatures to put the recall election on the ballot. Any signatures submitted needed to fall within a 60-day window of when they were collected.[1][2][3]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by Benton Harbor resident Quacy Roberts. Language in the approved petition cited a state of emergency declared by Muhammad on November 29, 2021, as grounds for a recall.[1]
Recall opponents
Muhammad addressed general criticism against him the week after the second recall petition was filed, saying, "As the mayor my role is to use the bully pulpit that I have to call in all hands on deck to solve problems. I think that we have done that. Would I like to have seen everybody here in 2018? Sure. Getting the job done ultimately is how I will be judged." On the issue of water contamination in the city, he said, "I have young children, so the idea that the mayor hid something, he concealed something, and I have babies myself is slanderous, and it's ridiculous."[4]
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, petitioners must amass a number of signatures equal to 25% of the number of votes cast in the last general election in the electoral district of the officer sought to be recalled.[5] Petitioners have 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.
Roberts filed the first recall petition, which was over water contamination in Benton Harbor, on October 19, 2021. The second and fourth petitions, dealing with a vote by Muhammad to increase water rates, were filed on November 1 and November 22, respectively. The Berrien County Election Commission held clarity hearings in which they rejected each filing on grounds that the petition language used was inaccurate.[2][3][1]
The petition that was filed third in order was approved by the county commission on November 29, 2021.[1]
See also
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Herald-Palladium, "Fourth recall petition against Benton Harbor mayor dismissed," December 6, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Detroit News, "Recall petition filed against Benton Harbor mayor over lead crisis," October 19, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Herald-Palladium, "Second recall petition filed against Benton Harbor mayor," November 3, 2021
- ↑ WZZM, "'Slanderous and ridiculous' | Benton Harbor mayor addresses critics, says his focus is getting the job done," November 11, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Legislature, "Michigan Compiled Laws Section 168.955," accessed February 16, 2016
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