County measure targets public funded recalls

An Oakland County commissioner wants to stop the county from hiring outside counsel to appeal on behalf of the Oakland County Election Commission. [Link]

By CHARLES CRUMM Of The Oakland Press

An Oakland County commissioner wants to stop the county from hiring outside counsel to appeal on behalf of the Oakland County Election Commission.

The county, says Dave Woodward, D-Royal Oak, is spending taxpayer money on outside counsel in a Republican effort to recall state Rep. Marie Donigan, D-Royal Oak.

"Taxpayers are fronting the legal costs of the Republican Party," says Woodward, who has introduced a county commission resolution to ban the practice.

That resolution will be debated possibly next week before the county commission's General Government Committee.

Donigan, who is not term-limited, challenged an election commission ruling that recall wording against her was clear and a circuit court judge agreed with her that it wasn't. The county is appealing that court ruling.

"It's clearly an effort by Republicans to recall Democrats and taxpayers shouldn't be paying for it," Woodward said. "If there's an amendment we can make to apply it across the board, it's something I could support."

Donigan isn't the only local lawmaker targeted for recall.

Term-limited House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, has had recall language filed against him on three different occasions, the latest on four different petitions. All have been rejected by the election commission.

Term-limited state Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi, D-Farmington Hills, has also been a target of recall language.

Like Donigan, wording on the petitions was deemed clearly understood by the elections commission and Vagnozzi is appealing to the circuit court.

Woodward said Vagnozzi's appeal to the court is on hold because of the election commission's decision to appeal a circuit court opinion against them to the Court of Appeals.

The election commission is a three-member body. Two of the members, county Treasurer Pat Dohany and county Clerk Ruth Johnson, are Republicans.

"The question Republicans have to ask is, 'is it an appropriate use of taxpayer money to pursue this or not?' " Woodward said.

Some Republicans and Democrats faced recall after votes on tax increases last fall that balanced the state's budget.

Contact staff writer Charles Crumm at (248) 745-4649 or charlie.crumm@oakpress.com.

Click here to return to story:
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/032508/loc_20080325416.shtml