LA VETA- La Veta Town Clerk Nancy Culbreath informed the parties involved in the recall effort for Town Trustee Dawn Blanken, that the recall effort has been deemed insufficient.
In a letter released to the press, Culbreath states: “This is to notify you that the recall petition re-filed in my office on November 5, 2010 is found to be insufficient. Ninety-one (91) registered electors are required for this recall petition.
The original petition had 102 signatures. There were 19 insufficiencies on the petitions. A portion of the petition was cured by securing proper circulator affidavits, but one of the signers (Ariane Howell) fell into both the unregistered/not matching registration records and signing the petition after the circulator. Accordingly,
102 original signatures
less 19 insufficiencies
equals 83
plus 7 signatures cured by circulator affidavits
equals 90 qualified signatures. The two new additional signatures added to the petition did not count as the recall statute does not contain any provision that permits the additional signatures after the petition has been filed.”
The original petitioners, Kelly Popejoy, Mac McAnally, Don Lowell and Jim and Jeanne Keffeler now have three choices: let the recall effort die, appeal to the district court, or begin the process again from scratch.
Through the month of October, the recall effort has cost the Town of La Veta $3,200 in legal fees. November’s legal bill has not arrived yet.
