Recall petitions filed
Ouster of Saguache countyclerk sought following contested election.
By PABLO CARLOS MORA | | Posted: Thursday, September 29, 201112:00 am
Recall petitions were filed Wednesday seeking the ouster of Saguache County Clerk and Recorder Melinda Myers due to problems with the November election.
A computer error led to a miscount of election results and subsequent investigations by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office and a grand jury.
Steve Carlson, a Republican whose apparent election victory over incumbent Democratic County Commissioner Linda Joseph was reversed by the recount, said the recall campaign was intended “to bring transparency and honesty back to county government.”
“The statement on the petitions is that it mainly deals with negligence in job duty from the clerk’s office, violation of the duties of her office and investigations into the conduct of the 2010 elections not only by the Secretary of State (Scott Gessler) but also by a grand jury,” Carlson said Wednesday.
“We submitted our petitions with 816 names. I believe only 598 were required,” he said.
A software operating error occurred election night when an election worker uploaded polling place data from a Crestone-area precinct twice while excluding 197 mail ballots.
A second count to correct the error three days later overturned results that had both Carlson and Republican challenger Carla Gomez, who faced Myers in the vote, leading their respective races.
After multiple investigations, the election results were certified, but Carlson said the issue is far from over.
“The conduct of this election has caused great concern with the citizens of SaguacheCounty relative to the role of elected officials,” he said. “The committee I am involved with has taken this endeavor to straighten up the corruption, nepotism and cronyism which are regarded to be standard operating procedure in SaguacheCounty.
“This has been going on for 30 years.”
Myers' office said Wednesday she would have no comment on the recall.
The number of signatures on the recall petitions are being checked by Connie Trujillo, county treasurer, Carlson said.
“Trujillo has been appointed by the SaguacheCounty commissioners as the (recall) election official,” Carlson said.
“She has contracted with the El PasoCounty clerk and recorder to assist in the recall election. In others words, we brought in an outside clerk and recorder to conduct the election,” he said.
A call to Trujillo was not returned Wednesday.
“Once the El PasoCounty clerk’s office determines the sufficiency of the signatures, then it comes back to the county commissioners who are required to set an election within 75 days,” Carlson said.
He said the recall campaign “starts the process of cleaning up county government.”
“We feel disenfranchised from voting,” Carlson said.