Landlord who lives outside city cannot seek recall of Jackson City Council members, elections director says

By

• Bob Wheaton | jwheaton@mlive.com

Jackson City Hall File photo

JACKSON, MI --The Jackson County elections director has rejected a landlord's petition language to try to recall four Jackson City Council members, saying he cannot lead a recall effort because he doesn't live in the city.

The landlord, Robert Tulloch of Munith, said he will sue the county and the Michigan Bureau of Elections, which told Tulloch in writing that he could not try to recall the council members.

Colleen Garety, Jackson County elections director, on Thursday sent Tulloch an email saying she was denying his request for a clarity hearing to be held to determine whether his proposed recall petition wording was clear enough to be circulated.

She cited a state law which in part says: "Every elective officer in the state, except a judicial officer, is subject to recall by the voters of the electoral district in which the officer is elected ..."

Tulloch on Wednesday

seeking the removal from office of Mayor Martin Griffin and council members Derek Dobies, Laura Dwyer Schlecte and Daniel Greer. Tulloch is president of the Jackson Area Landlords Association. He owns property in the city and has been a frequent critic of city government.

In the rejected petition language, he sought the recall of the four elected officials for their handling of a severance package for former City Manager

and a controversial

.

"My next action is to sue them," Tulloch said of the county and state election officials.

"A person who has a vested interest in what goes on in an electoral district should have the right to initiate a recall petition against elected officials when they abuse their position," Tulloch said. "Just because I don't live in the city doesn't mean I should have to keep my mouth shut and allow them to take my tax dollars to be used to pay off Larry Shaffer."