WILLMAR - The City Charter requires the committee seeking to recall Willmar City Council member Ron Christianson to formulate a clear and concise statement of not more than 250 words of its reasons for proposing recall. It must also state that it intends to bring about his or her recall, and clearly set out the alleged malfeasance or nonfeasance.
The charter requires the certificate to be filed with the city clerk.
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Before any petition for recall is circulated, the charter requires that the exercise of recall “shall be by a committee of not less than five registered voters of the city,’’ and Wayne Nelson, chair of the Recall Ron Committee, said the certificate will be signed by a minimum of five people from Ward 2 who are all registered voters of the city of Willmar.
The charter is silent on whether or not committee members must be registered voters of Ward 2.
The charter requires the certificate to contain a true a copy of the measure proposed to be circulated, the names and addresses of committee members and petition circulators, and a statement that committee members and circulators are registered voters at the time the certificate is filed.
Nelson said Monday that the committee understands that once the certificate of intent is formally presented to City Clerk Kevin Halliday, the committee has 90 days to collect the signatures of 25 percent of the registered voters in Ward 2.
According to official election results as canvassed by the City Council Nov. 7, 2014, there were 2,948 registered voters in Ward 2 in the Nov. 4, 2014, general election. Halliday said 25 percent would represent 737 registered voters.
Given the 90-day time frame, the completed petition will be presented to Halliday on or before Aug. 14, Nelson said.
Once the petition is validated by the city clerk and city attorney, the charter requires the city clerk to present the petition to the council at its next meeting and the council shall immediately proceed to set the matter up for a vote on the recall issue at a special election.
Also, the charter requires the city clerk to forward a copy of the petition to the official subject to recall. The subject may present to the council a statement of not more than 500 words answering the charge contained in the petition.
