Petition seeks recall election
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
For the second time in a little over a year, a petition is circulating around town to replace the head of the city commission.
Resident Kristi Jaeger approached the Washburn City Commission Monday as chairman of the new petition, which seeks a recall election that would force commission president Larry Thomas to re-run for his position. Jaeger said a committee, which consists of her and four other residents, has received approval from the Secretary of State to gather signatures from community members.
“We find no pleasure in this task, but we also feel that our community has reached a point where we find it necessary to ask commissioner Larry Thomas to step down from his position as president of the commission,” Jaeger stated.
Jaeger said the committee’s motivation for pursuing Thomas’s removal included his discussion of city matters that were not included on meeting agendas.
“This excludes the opportunity for our citizens to be informed and participate in discussion,” Jaeger said. “As citizens of Washburn, it is our right to be given that opportunity to discuss our city business and to have it listed on a published agenda.”
The circulating petition also states Thomas violated open meeting laws, created a hostile work environment, behaved unprofessionally with the general public and showed an unwillingness to change. Jaeger said the committee would pursue the recall election, but preferred a more timely solution.
