Flint Mayor Karen Weaver is challenging almost a quarter of the signatures that appear on a petition trying to recall her from office.
County and city clerks have certified more than 5,900 signatures on the recall petition targeting Mayor Weaver. That leaves recall backers with a margin of about 200 to get it on the ballot.
But Weaver’s camp filed a formal challenge targeting 1,200 signatures, either for issues with the person who signed the petition or the person who circulated it.
The Genesee County Clerk’s office has until Friday to decide if there are enough valid signatures to put the recall on the November ballot. County Clerk John Gleason says his office will start working on reviewing the mayor’s challenges immediately.
If Gleason’s office decides there are enough valid signatures to put the issue before the voters, candidates interested in running for mayor will have until mid-August to file signatures or pay a fee for a spot on the ballot alongside Weaver.
Karen Weaver was elected in 2015, vowing to tackles Flint’s water crisis. While she has been praised by some for her handling of the crisis, other issues have drawn the ire of people in Flint. The recall petition specifically cites her support for hiring a new garbage company. Weaver only dropped her support for the new company after it became embroiled in a federal corruption investigation.
Meanwhile, Flint police continue to investigate allegations petition circulators may have misled Flint residents into signing. Recall backers complain the investigation is an attempt to intimidate people who supported the petition.
