Van Buren Township voters will be going to the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 23, to make the final decision on a drive to recall four officials from office.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 10 precincts. Call the Township Clerk’s office at 699-8909 for information on voting location for a particular address.
Absentee ballots are already arriving at the township clerk’s office to be counted with the rest of the votes on Feb. 23.
The official recall ballot charge, against all four officials, is the same: “On July 7, 2009 ___ voted to appoint Carl McClanahan as interim public safety director.”
The public safety director position was vacant after the former director was fired in May. McClanahan was not sworn into office until December.
Targeted for recall are: Democrats Supervisor Paul White, Clerk Leon Wright, and Trustees Denise Partridge and Al Ostrowski. All were elected in November 2008 and all unseated Democratic incumbents.
Anyone recalled will leave office immediately after certification of the election results and their seats will be filled by a special election on May 4.
If the recall is unsuccessful, the recallers will have to wait at least six months for another recall drive.
Since Clerk Wright is one of those targeted for recall, Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett has appointed VBT Deputy Clerk Kathleen Cline to run the Feb. 23 election.
Deputy Clerk Cline said there are 20,678 registered voters for this election.