OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Days after a movement to recall four of the town councilors began, a separate movement to recall the remaining three has moved forward.
Petitions to recall town councilors Bob Quinn, Michael Coleman and Robin Dayton were issued Thursday afternoon after a recall committee issued the paperwork to the town clerk.
The seven-member recall committee is made up of Cari-Lyn Lane, Sheila White, Neal Weinstein, Michelle Arnold, Robin Dube, Guy Fontaine and William Daley.
In its paperwork to the town, the committee states, among the reasons they are issuing the recall effort, that Quinn, Coleman and Dayton have violated the town charter, have failed to put the best interest of the citizens of Old Orchard Beach before personal gain and have failed to conduct public business in public, making decisions and handshakes in executive session without the benefit of public dialog. The committee also stated the three councilors have publicly disrespected and degraded residents at town council meetings and have incited the citizens to riot with false statements and innuendo.
On Tuesday, an opposing committee issued paperwork and received petitions in an effort to recall town council Chairwoman Sharri MacDonald, Vice Chairwoman Laura Bolduc and Councilors Linda Mailhot and Dana Furtado. The four voted last week to terminate Town Manager Mark Pearson’s employment, effective April 3. He is currently on paid administrative leave.
In a written statement, the committee members supporting the effort to recall MacDonald, Bolduc, Furtado and Mailhot stated they would like the town council to support the residents and not a hidden agenda; they do not want the town council firing a town manager without cause; and they want the councilors to answer their questions and not work secretly behind closed doors. They also support the reinstatement of Pearson.
Weinstein, a recall committee member, said he has received many emails in support of his committee’s efforts and said there is a “vast, silent majority” of people who think Quinn, Coleman and Dayton should be recalled.
Weinstein said the three councilors the group would like to see recalled supported Pearson. Weinstein said that while Pearson was manager, line items were over spent in town budgets, Pearson expensed bedding to the town when staying overnight at the fire station and missed many days of work. Weinstein said there was no oversight of the town manager when the three councilors made up the majority of the former five-member council.
“The three (councilors) allowed him to do this,” he said.
Weinstein said the only people causing disruption are the three councilors, who are upset because they are no longer in the majority.
“If they can’t run the show, they don’t want anyone to run the show,” said Weinstein.
To that point, Quinn said his philosophy on running for council was to serve people in a fair way and not favor any special interest groups.
“We have a government in crisis,” said Quinn. “The losers are the taxpayers and citizens of the town.”
He said letting go of the town manager causes disruptiveness of stability and continuity and also causes delay of town business, such as union contract negotiations.
“It takes our eye off the issues the town needs to work on,” said Quinn of the recall movement.
Quinn said the four-member majority voted to terminate the town manager without telling the other three why, which “drove a wedge right there.”
Coleman agreed, and stated on his Facebook page last week that “the gang of four” fired the town manager without reason.
On Friday, Coleman said he aims to do the right thing and maintain transparency.
“They’re obviously not going to the same council meetings I am,” he said. “”¦ Where is this coming from? This is ridiculous.”
Coleman said he encourages people to call, write or speak with councilors and let them know how they feel.
Each recall committee has 30 days to collect 815 signatures for each petition for the proposed recall of an individual councilor. Upon certification of the petitions, the town council will have 45 days to submit the recall questions to voters.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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