Two recall petitions for Yankee Springs Township officials is a continuation of the rancor that has divided the board for several months. Two officials have already resigned, Trustee Roger Rottschafer and Administrator of Gun Lake Water and Sewer Authority Larry Knowles, but the accusations and name calling continues.

 

“The Yankee Springs Township Board is fractured,” Supervisor Mark Englerth said. “We’ve done everything we could to bring the board and community together, and I will continue to try to do that.” 

 

Knowles submitted a petition to recall Trustee Shanon Vandenberg on Jan. 16 that has passed a clarity hearing by the Election Commission, according to County Clerk Pam Palmer, a member of the commission.

 

Vandenberg has 10 days from the hearing to appeal the decision to the Barry County Circuit Court, and no petitions can be circulated during the 10 days. The language on the petition is good for 180 days, the signatures good for 60 days. All the signatures must be collected within 60 days of the first signature being recorded.

 

The reason stated on the petition is that Vandenberg was guilty of a conflict of interest when he tried to get approval of his development, corrupting the decision making process by not providing information to various township officials.

 

The same rules apply to the petition turned in by Julie Fox calling for the recall of Clerk Janice Lippert on Jan. 31. That clarity hearing is set for Feb. 14. Fox charges Lippert violated numerous provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, made false statements about her and questioned her mental status.

 

Clarity hearings determine only if the reasons for the recall are factual and clear enough to let the officer whose recall is sought and the electors to identify the conduct that is the basis for the recall. The number of signatures required to trigger a recall is 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the officer’s district for all candidates for the office of governor in the last gubernatorial general election.