The Camp Verde Town Council has rescinded the special election that would have led to a recall vote on whether to remove Vice Mayor Bruce George from council. The recall’s legality was called into question due to a missing bit of information indicating whether those who circulated the petition were volunteers or being paid.
So for want of a checkmark, the recall has been effectively canceled. While this seems like a relatively minor glitch that deprives Camp Verde voters of their legal right to challenge their leaders’ competence, it is important for voters to know whether those collecting signatures for petitions are motivated by civic duty or because they’re being paid by the Camp Verde for Good Government group or those motivated by other concerns.
The recall itself was already on shaky ground considering its original intent was to remove George, Mayor Charlie German and Councilwomen Robin Whatley and Jessie Jones. The petition to remove German fell far short of the needed minimum while petitions targeting Whatley and Jones didn’t have enough legal signatures for recalls to continue against them. That left George as the last man standing on the gallows and denuded the validity of the recall effort.
The foursome was targeted not due to corruption nor abuse of power but because they voted for a small tax increase to benefit the town’s coffers. No one enjoys paying taxes, nor seeing an increase, even a slight one, but we agree to pay taxes to our incorporated communities, counties and states to benefit to common good of all. Politicians certainly don’t relish raising taxes either because tax increases cost them at the polls. Taxes are a necessary cost of living in a civil society.
The Arizona Constitution expressly gives voters the right of recall, but the electorate shouldn’t abuse that power on a whim. Targeting public officials for doing their difficult job of managing town finances sets a terrible precedent. If the town needs additional revenue, council members will have to worry about whether they might face a recall for voting for another tax meaning that pothole on your street won’t get fixed or a Camp Verde Marshal’s Office deputy takes a few more minutes to arrive due to an understaffed department.
The recall’s failure also saves the town thousands that would be spent on the election, money that could be better spent filling that pothole.
