Flint’s mayor has dropped her legal challenge to a recall petition intent on ousting her from office.
Mayor Karen Weaver’s attorney signed on to a judge’s order dismissing the mayor’s suit.
Weaver had tried to raise questions about the validity of hundreds of signatures on the recall petition. In court this week, a handwriting expert questioned whether some people who signed the petition also filled in the date.
However, when Weaver’s attorney quizzed petition signers, many in the court, including the attorney, were surprised to hear some had been contacted by Flint police and felt intimidated.
Genesee County Clerk John Gleason says the result validates his office and that of Flint city clerk which both worked to verify the signatures on the petition.
“It’s good that it’s behind the city,” Gleason said after the dismissal was announced. “We have a lot of issues that are much bigger than a recall that we have to address. It’s time that we moved on to those.”
With Weaver’s suit dismissed, plans can begin for the recall election which is a little more than two months away. The mayor and more than a dozen challengers will appear on the ballot.
There is still one last issue related to the recall to be settled.
9th Ward city councilmember Scott Kincaid has until next Tuesday to decide if he will run for mayor in the recall or run for the seat he has held for 32 years.
A judge this week ruled he can not run for both.
