Unite Norman, the group that’s collecting signatures in an attempt to recall the mayor and four city council members, requested an extension for signature gathering.
The group submitted a letter to the Norman city clerk Wednesday, asking for a 10 day extension to submit the signatures needed to initiate recall proceedings for Mayor Breea Clark and four city council members. The deadline is currently set for Friday, Aug. 14.
In the letter, Unite Norman alleges the group has faced, “unprecedented opposition in the form of harassment, provocation and fraud that has made the petition drive impossible to fully complete.” The group also alleges individuals impersonating Unite Norman circulators have collected signatures and discarded them.
Representatives of Unite Norman have said the group decided to file the recall petitions after the Norman City Council voted in June to remove $865,000 from the police department’s proposed budget.
Unite Norman must collect the signatures of 25% of registered voters in Norman to begin recall proceedings for Mayor Clark and 25% of each of the four council members’ wards registered voters to begin recall proceedings for the council members.
The city council members Unite Norman is attempting to recall are Kate Bierman, Stephen Holman, Alison Petrone and Sereta Wilson, who resigned from her position.
Russell Smith, co-founder of Unite Norman, said the group has between 10-20 pop-up locations set up across town where people can sign the recall petitions and has petitioners going door-to-door.
"We want them (the mayor and city council members) out before they have another chance to do more damage to the police budget,” Smith said.
The election would take place in January, a month before the regularly scheduled election, if the group collects the required number of signatures.
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department.
