Camilla city council recall proponents fail on first attempt

CAMILLA — Camilla Elections Supervisor Brenda Cross said Tuesday that proponents of a potential recall of four City Council members failed to turn in their recall petition applications on time or completed by a 5 p.m. deadline last Thursday, nullifying the petition applications.

“They did not turn in the applications because they said work on the forms was incomplete,” Cross said Tuesday. “They did pick up four new petition applications yesterday and will begin the process again.”

Cross added the deadline to turn in the new petitions is 5 p.m. on March 21.

The Albany Herald also has learned the Georgia Secretary of State’s office is looking into a part of the petition application drive that took place March 1 behind the Mitchell County Courthouse. The petitioners, led by Gwyneth Thomas, reportedly were giving free chicken meals to Camilla residents who signed the petition application.

According to sources, Georgia Secretary of State Office Investigator Glenn Archie could be in Camilla sometime this week

to conduct interviews.

Asked for comment, David B. Dove, the office’s assistant deputy secretary of state and legal counsel said, “I can’t say a thing about it. The Secretary of State’s office does not comment on ongoing investigations.”

The targets of the recall are council members Lewis Campbell Jr., Vivian Smith, W.D. Palmer and Annie Doris Willingham. Thomas’ group contends the City Council is not meeting the needs of the city’s residents and is alleging acts of malfeasance, violations of oath of office, misconduct and violations of the state’s Sunshine Law.

The four separate recall petitions each require the signatures of at least 100 valid registered voters who cast ballots in the 2013 election that placed the four council members in office. Council members Derek Hadley and Ronald Hayes are not included in the recall attempt because they were sworn into office in January and are immune from recall efforts for 180 days.

Once the group turns in the new petition applications to Cross, she will then certify or reject the signatures. If she determines the petitions meet the requirements of state law, the next step would be a hearing before a Superior Court judge, who would rule on the validity of the causes for the recall.