Light-up McIntosh December 15
Light-up McIntosh will begin at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. The event will host Santa Clause and an area choir from six local churches will sing.
08.17.06 -- REPORT: Councilman Strange sues over recall petition
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Councilman sues over recall petition
Court documents call Florida's recall statute unconstitutional, local petition unlawful.
By CHER PHILLIPS
McINTOSH -- Councilman Jim Strange filed a lawsuit in the Marion County Civil Curcuit Court against Sportman's Cove owner Casey Girardin as chairman for the committee seeking to recall him. Strange would like the court to deem the recall petition illegal and charge Girardin for courts costs.
Strange named two other persons in his suit individually who have no personal interest in the case, Julie Musselman as the town clerk and Dee Brown as the County Supervisor of elections. Documents on file at the county courthouse show that Strange would like the court to order both officials to stop the recall election.
In June, Girardin circulated petitions to recall two council members, Strange and Danaya Wright who resigned July 13. Girardin's recall committee garnered more than the 100 signatures needed to begin the recall process. McIntosh only has about 360 registered voters and petitioners hailed from all four quandrants of the town which is no more than a mile wide.
Upon certification of the petition by the town clerk, Strange offered a defense to the four reasons that his recall petition were based. The suit doesn't address the nature of the accusations though.
Strange is suing on three counts. All three reasons for the lawsuit ask the court to stop Brown and Musselman from holding a recall election and ask the court to charge Girardin for the court costs. Two of the reasons are mainly to legally discredit the recall petition, put a stop to it and charge Girardin for the costs ensued. But one count is solely to establish the right to clear his name and challenges section 100.361 of the Florida Statutes saying that Strange is entitled to a public hearing where he can cross-examine his accusers and clear his name. Documents on file ask that section of the Florida statutes unconstitutional.
The next step on the suit is for the defendents to respond to Strange's suit.
Court case documents, the petition recall and Strange's defense will be available on this site.
posted by Cher @ 3:30 PM,
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Editor
Editor and Publisher:
I'm Cher From McIntosh, FL I'm a graduate student at the University of Florida working on a master's degree in Mass Communication. While I was finishing my undergrad degree in journalism last year, I reported on McIntosh, Fla. for an in-depth reporting class. I figured that the reporting and the public record files should go somewhere people can access them. Reporters don't report to keep the information they find to themselves. Some of that reporting is included here in a forum that allows response. McIntosh suffers because with no news coverage, the local government and the rumor mill have too much potential to run rampant over residents. I moved to McIntosh in the fall of 1999. My profile
About This Blog
The primary purpose of this blog is to accurately reflect what happens in town public meetings and dispel rumors. I record the meetings and make them available for download. One of the goals of this blog is to offer residents a place to voice opinions. The comments, views and opinions expressed there are not necessarily those of the editor.
