The Mayor, or any member of the City Council or School Committee
may be recalled and removed from office by the qualified voters of
the City of Biddeford as hereinafter provided.
[Amended 11-8-2016]
In the case of the Mayor, Councilor-at-Large and School Committee
Member, the recall must be signed by not less than 15% of registered
voters from the City who voted in the previous Gubernatorial Election.
In the case of a Ward Councilor, who has been elected as such by the
registered voters of said ward, the petition must be signed by not
less than 15% of the qualified voters in that ward at the time of
the previous municipal election.
Within seven days of the receipt of the petitions, the City
Clerk shall ascertain whether or not the petitions have been signed
by the requisite number of qualified voters. If there are insufficient
signatures, the City Clerk will notify in writing by certified mail
those responsible for the petition who shall have an additional five
days from receipt of the notice to obtain a sufficient number of signatures.
If the City Clerk's certification should show that the
petitions are sufficient, the petitions and the Clerk's certification
shall be submitted by the City Clerk to the City Council at its next
regular meeting following certification and shall also notify the
person or persons whose removal is sought. The City Council shall,
within 14 days of receipt of the City Clerk's certification,
direct the City Clerk to issue a warrant for a municipal election
within 60 days.
[Amended 11-6-2012]
In case of a majority voting for and against the recall for any official shall vote in favor of the recall, such official shall be thereby removed and the City Council shall declare a vacancy in that office in accordance with Article
II, Section
5 of this Charter in the case of the Mayor; Article
III, Section
4 of this Charter in the case of a City Councilor; or Article
V, Section
5 of this Charter in the case of a School Committee Member.