Albion City Council requests third-party in Council Member Sonya Brown's case
ALBION, Mich. — Albion City Council members requested approval to assign a third-party to verify alleged conduct by Council Member Sonya Brown for Tuesday's city council meeting.
The third-party request comes after the city of Albion set a recall election for Brown in July of 2019.
The vote was set after the Calhoun County Clerk's Office received recall petitions in June of 2019 that sought to remove Brown from office.
The petitioners claimed that Brown violated the Albion city charter when she instructed the city manager to remove the Department of Public Safety chief. The petitioners accused Brown of sending a message to Albion City Manager LaTonya Rufus seeking to remove the chief that read in part:
Get rid of him! He's untrustworthy.
The recall vote will be Nov. 5, 2019, in the city’s Precinct 3. Under Michigan election regulations for recall efforts, candidates seeking to fill Brown’s position will also be on the ballot that day.
“The petitions were reviewed, the opportunity for challenges expired and the petitions included the minimum number of signatures necessary to set the election,” Calhoun County Clerk Anne Norlander said in a written announcement. “This Call of Election serves as the official declaration of the sufficiency of recall petitions against Albion City Precinct 3 Council Member Sonya Brown.”
In the statement, Norland said the recall petitions were reviewed, the opportunity for challenges expired and the petitions included the minimum number of signatures necessary to set the election.
Candidates interested in filing for the council seat should contact the Albion city clerk.
To be eligible for the ballot the candidates must have filed a non-partisan nominating petition or a $100 nonrefundable filing fee no later than 4 p.m. Friday, July 26, 2019.
Additional details are available at the Albion City Clerk’s Office, 112 W. Cass Street in Albion.
