Troy

Group submits petition language to recall mayor

By Terry Oparka
C & G Staff Writer

Efforts to recall Mayor Janice Daniels are proceeding, while the mayor said she remains focused on city business.

“It is what it is,” she said of the recall effort. “I’m focusing on the job I was elected to do.”

The group Recall Janice Daniels submitted recall petition language to the Oakland County Election Commission Feb. 13. The commission will meet March 1 to determine if the language is valid.

Matthew Binkowski, listed as treasurer for the group, said he would not comment on the matter until the ballot language was approved.

On its Facebook page, the group described itself as a “grassroots organization dedicated to restoring competent leadership to Troy.” Further, it states, “We’re looking for volunteers to help us remove this dangerous ideologue.”

The group submitted two petitions calling for a recall election. One states Daniels should be recalled for voting to reject an $8,485,212 federal grant to the city of Troy Dec. 19, 2011.

The second petition states four reasons to recall Daniels: “refusing to swear to support the Troy City Charter when she took the oath of office and later referring to the charter as a whimsical document;” failure to support a federal investment of more than $8.4 million on two separate occasions; violating procedural rules and exceeding speaking time at the Jan. 9 council meeting to read a position paper that “publicly denigrated city employees”; and “for embarrassing the citizens of the city of Troy on Jan. 9 by telling high school students planning an anti-bullying program that the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous.”

If the recall language were approved, the group would have six months to gather the needed number of signatures — 7,985 — to put the matter before voters, Dave Forsmark, director of communications for the Oakland County Clerk’s Office, said.

If petition language were approved, Daniels could appeal the matter in the circuit court.

Forsmark explained that signatures on petitions are valid for 90 days.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Terry Oparka at toparka@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1054.