{"id":37640,"date":"2007-12-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-12-06T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.inmaricopa.com\/petition-to-recall-estes-filed\/"},"modified":"2007-12-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2007-12-06T07:00:00","slug":"petition-to-recall-estes-filed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmaricopa.com\/petition-to-recall-estes-filed\/","title":{"rendered":"Petition to recall Estes filed"},"content":{"rendered":"
A petition to recall Councilman Joseph Estes was filed with the city clerk’s office yesterday, the last day on which to submit the request. The petition contained 54 signatures including one duplicate. Fifty-three signatures were required.<\/p>\n
The petition was submitted by a group led by Jim Gerard, who is a member of the city’s Public Safety Committee, which is appointed by City Council. Gerard said Dan Lathrop, a politically active resident, approached him in August about recalling Estes.<\/p>\n
“He had been doing some research and felt there was a conflict of interest in his performance,” Gerard wrote in an email to inmaricopa.com. “After reading the Monitor article and researching his involvement in local development companies I agreed to join him. Since I had the least long term political goals, I offered to register the group with me as the chair.”<\/p>\n
Despite only acquiring the minimum number of signatures required during the four-month process, Gerard indicated that many people – both outside and inside city hall – have concerns with Estes’ performance as a council member. “During these months we discovered there are a lot of people in all stages of the city government that felt he was using his influence to gain favor for his clients,” Gerard wrote.<\/p>\n
Gerard did not provide details in his email on the allegations.<\/p>\n
Estes said he was “humbled” by the fact that only 54 signatures were on the petition.<\/p>\n
“It shows the support I have,” Estes said. “I never claimed to be perfect. I’m doing the best job I can.”<\/p>\n
Estes stated that while he does not plan to seek re-election when his term expires in 2010, he will fight any recall effort. He did not seem concerned, however, that the measure would make it to the ballot this spring.<\/p>\n
“I’m waiting to hear back from the city clerk as to whether or not the petitions are even valid,” Estes said.<\/p>\n