Recall petition signatures submitted; one set is rejected

by Peter Jakey-Managing Editor

The local group spearheading the recall of Onaway City Commission members submitted petition signatures Monday at the Presque Isle County clerk’s office.

Citizens for a Safer Community is in the process of attempting to get recall language placed on the November ballot and have mayor Gary Wregglesworth and commissioners Charles Abshagen and Jessie Horrocks voted off the board.

With petition language approved May 9, the group went out in the community and collected more than enough signatures to put the question on the ballot. They needed 58 signatures for each petition.

According to petition sponsor Judy Shaloy, 114 people signed Horrocks’ petition sheet, while there were 111 each on the petitions for Abshagen and Wregglesworth.

“People were willing to sign,” said Shaloy. “We had young kids go register to vote so they could sign it.”

The group conducted a public meeting shortly after the language was approved, as well as went door-to-door to get signatures.

“I feel Onaway needs a change,” said Shaloy. “It is time for new blood, and that is what people want.”

The recall effort was spurred by the commission’s decision to not continue the employment of Onaway police chief James Gibson. The city has reached an agreement with the county for extra evening patrols, (see related story) but the Onaway Police Department is no longer staffed.

County clerk Ann Marie Main verified the signatures on the petition sheets for Horrocks and Wregglesworth, but rejected Abshagen’s because part of a word stating the reasons for the recall was clipped off, or was “indistinguishable.”

The word, which was handwritten, should have been “risk.” Letters were clipped off on nine of the 11 sheets, probably when they went through the copy machine, so Main had to reject them.<

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“You don’t know what the word actually is, so therefore it cannot be counted. It is not exactly what the (election) commission approved,” said Main.

“We are going to go back and do it over again,” said Shaloy. “We have signatures already.”

Regarding the rejected petition sheets, Shaloy said “it was just a mistake.” Shaloy has until June 30 to refile.

The petition sheets for Horrocks and Wregglesworth were reviewed by Main to make sure they are all registered voters. They have been forwarded to Onaway city clerk Kelli Stockwell for a verification of signatures on file.

The recall langauge could be placed on the November ballot.