Scottville mayor recall effort dead

Mayor Marcy Spencer

Scottville mayor recall effort dead

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

SCOTTVILLE — The efforts to recall Scottville Mayor Marcy Spencer has failed as the petitioners have missed the Nov. 13 deadline. Eric Thue, who was sworn onto the commission Monday after being the only candidate for an open position, attempted to start a recall against Spencer, who has served on the commission for over 10 years.

Thue’s initial attempt to have language approved by the Mason County Election Commission failed. After reducing his language to one topic, the election commission approved the request 2-1. Spencer appealed the decision but lost in 51st Circuit Court.

Thue needed to have 113 signatures. On October 24 he turned in 12 pages of petitions and those petitions were rejected by the Mason County Clerk’s Office due to a word being cut off on the petitions.

According to Dep. County Clerk Lori Holmes, the word “conducted” was cut off of the end of the petitions.

Thue claimed that Spencer violated the charter by only allowing one public comment session during meetings she conducted during a previous term as mayor. The mayor does not have sole authority over deciding the agenda and the act was allowable under both the city charter and the Michigan Open Meetings Act. Thue actually approved the process when he served as a city commissioner, because each meeting’s agenda is approved at the start of the meeting. Thue never voted against approving the agenda.

His petitions stated: “Continuing a meeting policy began in 2021 with her as mayor, Spencer chaired meetings of the Scottville City Commission up to March 2023, violating procedures defined by the city charter that allowed for public comments before general business of the meeting. During this time, Spencer silenced the public from speaking until all business had been conducted.”

Thue was recently elected to the commission. He had initially been appointed to the commission in September 2021 for a term that expired in November 2022. In August 2022, Thue had announced he would run for election but then failed to turn in the appropriate number of nomination petitions in order to qualify to be on the ballot. He then ran a write-in campaign for the seat but lost.

Spencer said she was naturally pleased to find out about the failed attempt.

“I believe that it’s important that elected officials are answerable to their constituents and I believe that I have always acted in the best interest of the citizens of Scottville,” Spencer said. “It’s really unfortunate that the recall process, such as in this case, is used as a way to intimidate those who work so hard to make our community a better place. This particular effort has wasted the time and money on both the city and county level.”

Spencer is currently serving a two-year term which ends November 2024.

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