Just three days before a scheduled hearing in King County Superior Court, a group of residents withdrew a recall petition aimed at removing Mayor Bob Ransom and Deputy Mayor Maggie Fimia from office.
The decision, say the petitioners, was based on timing.
“We kept hoping that it would go faster,” said resident Frank Moll, one of six who filed the petition. “It became evident it was dragging on and on.” The other petitioners are Ron Greeley, Mary Fox, Dennis and Mary Jo Heller and Cheryl Lee, a former Council member.
The petitioners withdrew the petition on June 13, which was filed March 30 with King County Records and Elections Division. The petition cited actions occurring both before and after the resignation of former city manager Steve Burkett, indicating Ransom and Fimia made arrangements pertaining to the resignation agreement in secret, without notice to the public or other council members.
A hearing date was set for June 16 to determine whether the act stated in the charges satisfies criteria for recall, as well as the adequacy of the ballot synopsis.
A recall election would likely not have occurred until late 2006 at the earliest and perhaps not until 2007, Moll said. The group will instead devote their attention to the next council election, he said. Both Fimia’s and Ransom’s seats will be on the 2007 ballot.
Residents are getting weary of people “trying to use litigation instead of legislation,” Fimia said. Fortunately, she said, the bar for recall and litigation against elected officials “trying to do their job” is very high.
The pending litigation cost the city thousands of dollars, which was pointless as the petitioners waited until the last minute to withdraw the petition, Fimia said. The Council previously approved funding legal defense for the two Council members.
“These folks who filed this, if they want to make it right, they need to pay the city back for the costs,” Fimia said.
Ransom said he was told this was the first time a recall was scheduled for a hearing and then withdrawn.
“When they withdrew, it did take us by surprise,” Ransom said. “We were very ready for them and would have enjoyed having a hearing because we were ready to defeat them.”
Residents who he has spoken with are pleased the issue is resolved, Ransom said, adding that he hopes no more attempts will be made.
Regardless of the withdrawal, Moll said the petitioners devoted a substantial amount of time preparing for a recall, including working with precinct maps “like you would in any political contest.”
“We believe and believed fervently in our cause,” Moll said. “We all six believed and others believed strongly in what we were attempting to do; we didn’t drop it very lightly.”
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