"We want to recall Mayor Kelly," said Lara Duddingston, a self-described "common person" who gathered with a group of 10 friends, neighbors and relatives Wednesday night to start the process.
With just one of St. Paul's 119 precincts voting for Bush in 2000, Duddingston says the mayor is out of step with the people who elected him and therefore is not acting in the city's best interests.
"We're serious," she said. "We feel betrayed."
A successful recall would indeed take a serious effort. Here's what it would take, according to city charter:
• A recall petition would need signatures from about 12,700 registered voters (20 percent of the number who voted in the 2001 mayoral election).
• The city clerk would check that the names on the petition are valid and that the petition meets the 20 percent requirement. The city clerk would have 30 calendar days to report the filing to the City Council.
• If the council determines that the petition is sufficient, it would immediately notify Kelly, who would have five days to resign or face a recall election.
• The council would have 10 days to order a special election. Because of the timing, a successful petition drive could place the issue on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
Kelly's campaign manager didn't return a phone call. The mayor's spokeswoman, Laura Mortenson, said Kelly would wait until a petition was filed before making any comments.
Jackie Crosby is at
crosby@startribune.com.
The spirit of democrat censorship rears its ugly head again.
I love the way the DFL'ers are shooting themselves in the head. You go girl!
Oh those pesky Socialists. I'm surprised that Kelly is not on his way to the Lubyanka Prison yet. When you break with the party line, expect the Commissars to come calling.
Can they also recall anyone for wearing the WRONG color tie?
Are there NO requirements for recall: crimes or misdemeanors?
"We're serious," she said. "We feel betrayed."
Life is full of disappointments...and this is one of them...deal with it.