Group pushing recall of four Camilla city council members

CAMILLA — A group of Camilla citizens gathered Tuesday behind the Mitchell County Courthouse, giving out food and soliciting signatures for a recall petition drive that is intended to unseat four of six City Council members from office.

The targets of the recall are Lewis Campbell Jr., Vivian Smith, W.D. Palmer and Annie Doris Willingham. The recall group, headed by Gwyneth Thomas, 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 breaking the state’s Sunshine Law.

The group attracted potential petition signers with an offer of free chicken.

The four recall petitions 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.

“What we want to do is reorganize the Camilla City Commission in the best interest of all the citizens of Camilla,” Thomas said. “They seem to have forgotten we placed them in office to look after the interests of all the city’s citizens, not just to be a rubber stamp for the city manager (Bennett Adams).”

The group must turn in their petition applications to City Elections Manager Brenda Cross by 5 p.m. Thursday. Cross will then certify or reject the signatures. If she finds the petitions meet state law, the next step is a hearing before a Superior Court judge, who would rule on the validity of the cause for the recall.

“The City Council has not been responsive to the needs of the citizens of Camilla,” Thomas said. “This has been going on for a long time, but no one in Camilla has ever challenged the council before now.”

Thomas contends the council has conducted illegal closed meetings, instituted new public speaking rules for council meetings, and reduced the number of meetings per month from two to one.

“The people trusted the City Council and the people are suffering,” Thomas said. “People have nothing left after they’ve paid their utility bills, which in some cases is half of their monthly income. How are people supposed to live on that? We know we have to pay taxes, all we are asking for is that they be fair with us.”

During a City Council meeting in late January, Thomas stood before the council and aired her grievances and hinted a recall effort was in the works.

“We are not satisfied. You are not servicing us, you are servicing your own egos. Go back and search your records over the past 10 years and I challenge you to find anything this council has done for the citizens of Camilla and I might listen to you,” she said. “When we do try to speak up and have our voices heard, you disrespect our mayor (Rufus Davis). Come on, City Council, represent us, because we are going to fight hard to get you all out of these seats.”

Tuesday afternoon, Thomas said the recall was not related to race.

“This is not a black-white issue, but what benefits the black people of Camilla also benefits the white people,” Thomas said. “All we want is for our City Council to be reasonable.”