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Facts: Why RECALL IS a Bad Idea
Here's What is Going On
Mayor Blash and Vice Mayor Hellman were served with Intention to Circulate Recall Petition on March 5. Proponents have until June 30 to gather ~ 1,500 valid signatures to put this on the ballot. The time to act is NOW to stop it before it goes to ballot.
If the petition campaign is successful, the Town would have to call a special election in November 2025 (or sooner) to allow voters to decide if they want to recall the council members.
Why is a recall a bad idea?
1. It's expensive.
The special election for the recall is likely to cost the Town estimated $60,000 or more in taxpayer money.
2. It's not as democratic as you might think.
Both council members were elected by the people of Fairfax in a regular election. Special elections like a recall election have notoriously low voter turnout. This means a minority of Fairfax residents could remove two democratically elected representatives.
New candidates cannot be selected in the same election as the recall. If any council member is recalled, the remaining council members will need to decide whether to appoint new council members or hold another costly special election in Spring of 2026. There is a regularly scheduled election in November 2026 when the terms expire for Blash and Hellman - Do we really need extra elections?
3. It's a distraction from the necessary work of local government.
Defending their seats over a 9-month campaign makes it harder for the Mayor and Vice Mayor to concentrate on the important work they need to do on the council.
4. It eats up community resources and time.
Extra elections require a huge amount of resources, including paper mailings, plastic yard signs, and extensive energy and money from volunteers and donors. With all that is happening in our state and nation, do we really want to put our time and money into fighting one another?
5. It causes unnecessary polarization and hostility.
Most importantly, recall elections are acrimonious and create polarization rather than encouraging community members to work together across ideological differences.
DON'T SIGN THE PETITION. Signing the petition is not ensuring democratic process. It just ensures that this madness continues to eat up time and create more division.