LISBON – Town Clerk Twila Lycette started verifying signatures Tuesday on a petition to recall Council Chairwoman Norma Wells.

Petition organizers turned in five forms on Monday, the last day of the signature drive, with 300 signatures. The effort needs 288 verified from registered voters in Ward 2.

Lycette said she hoped to have the signatures certified by Friday so she could tell organizers whether there was a sufficient number of legal signatures. If there are, the group could ask Lycette to forward them to the City Council. If not, the group has two days to ask for extra time, 10 additional days, to gather more.

“I’m disappointed,” Wells said Tuesday. “I was elected by the citizens of the community to do a job. The job is spelled out in our charter. The reasons for the petition are invalid. I do not have a conflict of interest. As a matter of fact, I am the only councilor who does not.”

If the effort gathers enough signatures and the question to recall Wells is put to a vote in a special election, at least 600 voters from District 2 have to turn out, Wells said.

Dot Fitzgerald, one of the five people to swear out the recall affidavit, said last week the intention of her group was to recall Wells and then recall other councilors. The group, Lisbon Concerned Citizens, would like a return to the town meeting style of government. Lisbon made the switch two years ago.

Last week Fitzgerald said Wells has been “disrespectful to taxpayers in the audience asking questions.” The affidavit also claims a conflict of interest.

Fellow organizer Todd Comber said plenty of people showed up at the town transfer station Saturday morning to sign the petition.

Should there not be 288 signatures, “We will definitely (ask for those additional 10 days), but I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” he said. “They’ve got room to kick out 12.”