For the first time in Clintonville, a recall election will be held Tuesday for an alderman.
Alderman Greg Rose was elected to his District 4 seat in April 2013, defeating Lois Bressette 84-77. The two will square off again Tuesday after a recall petition led by resident William VanDaalwyk gathered enough signatures to force the recall vote.
The polling place at City Hall will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
VanDaalwyk said Rose’s actions have proved to be hostile to business and industry in Clintonville, and have incited divisiveness within the community. He also said Rose breached his fiduciary duty by voting to replace a competent municipal attorney with an inexperienced relative of two council members.
The recall effort coincided with the council’s decision to suspend then-City Administrator Lisa Kotter for unspecified allegations of misconduct. Kotter resigned Sept. 10. She and the city issued a news release saying her departure was not based on any misconduct but rather on “philosophical and stylistic differences.”
The city will continue paying Kotter through May 15, 2015, and through August had spent more than $17,000 on legal fees for the investigation and subsequent negotiations with Kotter.
Rose has said that he has voted for every business incentive item that came to a vote.
VanDaalwyk launched the recall effort against Rose in July. The campaign collected 87 signatures; 56 were required.
The Common Council voted 4-2 Sept. 30 not to accept the certification of sufficiency issued Sept. 22 by City Clerk Peggy Johnson for the recall election.
No council members disputed the validity of the recall petition, but some said they did not think it was warranted.
Two days later, however, the state Government Accountability Board ordered the council “to promptly convene to call the recall election,” which it did on Oct. 7 with a unanimous vote.
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