Petitions seeking the recall of Iola City Council members Kendall Callahan and Ken Rowe have sufficient signatures to trigger public votes on whether both should remain in office.
The recall elections will be a part of the county’s August primary election, Sherrie Riebel, county clerk, said.
The number of needed signatures was based on the number of votes cast in the April 2011 city elections.
At least 54 signatures were needed to trigger Callahan’s recall vote; 70 were on the petition. Rowe’s petition required 65 voters to sign; 79 did.
Callahan lives in Ward 1, representing the northwest quadrant of the city. Rowe lives in Ward 4, representing the southeast part of town.
The petitions were circulated around town over the past week by Iolans For Good Government, which alleges both Callahan and Rowe have violated open meetings laws. Both have denied doing so.
One provision in the recall petition stuck in the craw of Councilman Scott Stewart, noting both are accused of improperly calling for executive, or private sessions, during open meetings.
The petitions claim that when calling for executive sessions, council members are required to give an additional “justification statement,” detailing what is to be discussed in private.
“If that’s a violation of open meetings laws, we’re all guilty as charged,” Stewart said.
Rowe said neither he nor any other council member has violated open meetings laws through formal or informal council committees.
Callahan declined to speak again about those matters Monday, but did bring up an information sheet apparently being distributed along with the petitions.
The sheet, Callahan said, alleges the council spent $30,000 on a private investigator looking into the city’s health insurance fund.
The city did hire a Topeka attorney, but the cost to the city was $4,087.23, Callahan said.
“If we’re going to get beat up, let’s get beat up with facts,” Callahan said.
