No official has been excluded. Other volatile issues stirring the pot is the council's approval of an 11-percent increase in water rates and a policy limiting speakers at city meetings to three minutes. Grace Stidham, a recall proponent, said all nine council members are targets. Right now, people want to start with a clean slate. Petitions cannot be circulated until May because officials in Michigan have to be in office six months before signatures can be gathered.
Organizers have three months to collect signatures.
About 12,000 are needed to get a recall on the ballot. If the council is recalled, candidates who finished in 10th place through 18th place would move into the vacated positions. If some current council members survive, the vacant positions would be filled in order from the 10th place finisher on up. Councilman Mike Wiecek said a recall will be effective if residents set their sights on individuals instead of the whole council. They ought to decide what is the most egregious thing the council has done, whether it's criminal, immoral or just disgusting, and make choices based on those actions.