The effort to recall Holbrook City Mayor Merrill Young from office moved forward Monday with the recall committee submitting at 152 signatures to City Clerk Lisa Maestas. According to city election manual, the committee was required to collect at least 25% of the total votes cast for those who were on the last election ballot. Young was the sole candidate and received 492 votes in the last election, making the required number of signatures for a recall 123.
Now that the signatures have been submitted, the city clerk has no more than 10 days to verify that the sheets were processed legally by recall committee. Once that is complete, the signatures are submitted to the Navajo County Recorder’s Office, which has 60 days to determine the number of the signatures that must be disqualified. The information is then sent back to the city clerk who has five days to determine the total number of certified signatures to qualify for the recall. If there are sufficient signatures, the petition for recall is officially filed and the mayor and county recorder are notified.
As the subject of the recall, Mayor Young must be notified within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of the city clerk receiving the final recall petition. If Young does not resign within five days of being notified of the petition, a special recall election shall be issued within 15 days and shall be held on the next consolidated election, which is Aug. 9.
The mayor will then have the right to prepare and have printed on the ballot a 200-word statement defending his official conduct.
If Mayor Young chooses to challenge the number of signatures certified by the county recorder, he must take action in Navajo Superior Court within 10 calendar days after receiving notification. The superior court decision may be appealed to the state supreme court within 10 calendar days after judgement.
In February, the recall committee headed by Robert Black and Richard Peterson submitted numerous reasons for the mayor to be recalled, including cancellation of the 2020-21 city election cycle, which in effect extended the time of office for the sitting council, allowing City Manager Ted Soltis to understaff city workforce, allowing relations to degrade with outside municipalities and organizations, and permitting Soltis to manipulate and disregard proper procedures and decorum to the detriment of citizens and employees, elevating the office of mayor above what is authorized by city charter, giving himself the responsibility of approving financial activity in concert with Soltis, the cancellation of council meetings while the city faces many needs that are not being addressed, giving Soltis the authority to control the city council agenda and direct the council in its activities, and failure to lead the city council in a strategic plan.
Young has denied each of the allegations, stating that the high priority needs of the city were neglected prior to the hiring of Soltis, making the 2007 strategic plan still viable, stating that no safety positions were eliminated at the city, and that he was within city charter in other actions. He also denied facilitating the cancellation of the 2020-21 election, stating the council was simply aligning with state standards.
Details regarding the recall and Mayor Young’s rebuttal can be reviewed on The Tribune’s website in detail at www.tribunenewsnow.com by searching the terms “mayor recall.”
