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PARKERSBURG - Although City Council members are elected by district, petitions to recall them must have signatures equal to 20% of the entire city's number of registered voters.
That's the determination after Wood County Circuit Court Judge J.D. Beane dismissed a petition by people seeking to unseat Mayor Tom Joyce and council President Andrew Borkowski, agreeing with the city's contention that the charter is clear on the matter.
"The Court agrees that no controversy exists, as the language of the relevant charter section is clear and unambiguous and not subject to interpretation," Beane says in the order, dated Oct. 7.
Parkersburg resident LaDonna Reid filed a petition in April seeking a ruling on whether the charter's requirement of a number of signatures equal to 20% of those registered to vote in the last regular municipal election meant citywide or just in a specific council district. The charter does not specify, although only residents of an individual district can vote for its council member.
But that section of the charter "reads that a recall petition must be signed by a certain percentage of 'qualified voters of the City,'" Beane writes in his order. "This language means what it plainly says, and it is not the province of the Court to determine or weigh its wisdom, nor to read an ambiguity into a sentence where none exists."
Twenty percent of all registered voters in the city for the 2024 election works out to approximately 3,684 signatures. Borkowski represents council District 8, which had a total population of 3,258 according to the last redistricting ordinance passed in 2022.
The petition had argued the 20% figure should only apply to the district, since voters outside the district "do not elect the council member and may have limited familiarity with that official’s performance."
Caci Petrehn, who is part of the group seeking the recall, issued a statement from the group saying Judge Beane's ruling has clarified the path forward for their recall efforts and they are grateful for that direction.
"We've heard from many residents who live outside individual council districts but want the opportunity to sign petitions for every council member, and this allows us to move forward with that broader community participation in mind," the statement said. "We're currently recalibrating our petitions to reflect the ruling, and we're energized by the continued interest and support we've seen throughout the community.
"Following the election, we plan to be back out regularly, connecting with residents and continuing this effort. We see this as an opportunity to move forward with greater clarity, and we're ready to get back to work."