I have become aware of some misconceptions in the town of Paris about what a recall ordinance is supposed to do. There are three steps involved in any effort to recall an elected town official.

The first step is to make sure a recall ordinance is in place. But because a recall ordinance cannot itself recall anybody, a second step is needed.

The second step happens when citizens petition for a recall election. The current draft recall ordinance in Paris follows the standard of many of Maine’s town recall ordinances: that 10 percent of the voters in the last gubernatorial election is needed to initiate, by petition, the process that results in a recall election. In Paris that’s 211 voters. The number of voters/petitioners is actually not very important — that number is merely part of a step in the process for getting a recall election scheduled.

The third step is when the townspeople go to the polls and cast their votes. It’s the voters who make the ultimate decision as to whether an elected official is recalled or not.

Anne Stanley, Paris

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