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Facts: Why RECALL IS a Bad Idea
Mayor Blash and Vice Mayor Hellman were served with Intention to Circulate Recall Petition on March 5. Proponents have 90 days to gather ~ 1,500 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.
This is likely to cost the Town up to $60,000 in taxpayer money.
Special elections have notoriously low voter turnout where a small minority of citizens makes the decision.
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?
Extra elections require a huge amount of resources, including paper mailings, plastic yard signs, and extensive energy and money from volunteers and donors.
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.
Most importantly, recall elections are acrimonious and create polarization rather than encouraging community members to work together across ideological differences.