Mayor and city council recall, Charlottesville, Virginia (2017)
| Charlottesville Mayor and City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Wes Bellamy Kristin Szakos Kathy Galvin Bob Fenwick |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2017 Recalls in Virginia Virginia recall laws Mayoral recalls City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Charlottesville, Virginia, to recall Mayor Mike Signer, and City Council Members Wes Bellamy, Kristin Szakos, Kathy Galvin, and Bob Fenwick from their positions was initiated in October 2017. RISE Charlottesville announced on October 26, 2017, that the group would circulate petitions against the entirety of Charlottesville's city council. Signer is the fifth member of the city council. Fenwick and Szakos left the council after the November 2017 election after Fenwick lost in a primary and Szakos declined to seek re-election.[1]
A recall effort against Councilman Bellamy was pursued earlier in 2017. The effort ended in March 2017 because the recall effort lacked enough signatures to advance.
Recall supporters
RISE Charlottesville is pursuing a recall of the entire city council due to August 2017 protests over the removal of Confederate monuments. The group's petitions conclude that the council attracted the protests by approving removal of the monuments and Signer attracted attention for calling Charlottesville the capital of the resistance to President Donald Trump following Trump's election.[2]
Pat Spicer Napoleon, speaking on behalf of the group, made the following argument for recall:
| “ |
I think we have to heal from within. And I think people are frustrated, and I would like to bring people together. I do not condone violence. I think people should have civil discussion, and I think that's where we begin.[1][3] |
” |
| —Pat Spicer Napoleon (2017) | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Virginia
Code § 24.2-233 states acceptable reasons for recall including neglect of duty, misuse of office, and incompetence in the performance of office. A recall may also take place due to a conviction for a misdemeanor relating to drugs or a conviction for a misdemeanor involving a hate crime.[4]
The petition for recall must be signed by at least 10 percent of the number of people who voted in the last election for the office being recalled.[4] The petition must also detail the reasons for removal.[5] RISE Charlottesville must gather approximately 1,000 valid signatures per targeted official to advance the recall effort.[1]
A successful recall petition in Virginia leads to a judicial hearing rather than an election. The targeted official receives notice of the trial and has the right to demand a trial by jury. The results of the trial may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Virginia.[6][7]
Recent news
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See also
- Recall campaigns in Virginia
- Political recall efforts, 2017
- Mayoral recalls
- City council recalls
- Sandra Evans recall, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia (2017)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 NBC 29, "Group Launches Petitions to Recall Each Charlottesville City Councilor," October 26, 2017
- ↑ CBS 19, "Petitions launched to recall all city council members," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Code of Virginia, "§ 24.2-233," accessed July 17, 2013
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "§ 24.2-235," accessed July 17, 2013
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "§ 24.2-236," accessed July 17, 2013
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "§ 24.2-237," accessed July 17, 2013
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