New Round of Recall Petitions Against Stathakis, Viar and Flynn Filed

Just days after efforts to recall the Shelby Township supervisor and treasurer failed, the wheels are in motion for a second round.

Shelby Township resident Tom Delise filed six petitions Thursday at the Macomb County Elections Department to recall Supervisor Rick Stathakis, Treasurer Paul Viar and Trustee Michael Flynn.

Delise filed the petitions using the exact same wording that was approved to begin recall proceedings against Stathakis and Viar.

The Macomb County Elections Commission, which is an independent board, will determine at a clarity hearing on July 8 at 8:30 a.m. if the language on the petitions is valid.

The commission does not address the validity of the charges; it only decides whether the language is clear.

Two petitions were filed against each of the three trustees. The wording was the same on both, except the names of the trustees were changed for each petition.

The petitions read, “On Aug. 4, 2009, Supervisor Richard Stathakis voted to rezone the property at the SW corner of 24 Mile and Schoenherr Road.”

The second said, “On Aug. 4, 2009, Shelby Township Supervisor Richard Stathakis voted to approve a rezoning, changing a parcel at 24 Mile and Schoenherr from residential to office/commercial.”

Delise filed the original recall petitions because he said Viar's and Stathakis’ votes to rezone the land disregarded the residents' concerns and favored builders' interests.

Delise also alleges the board intentionally left residents out of the voting process by prohibiting public comment during untelevised work sessions.

More than 7,000 recall signatures for Viar and Stathakis were sent to the Macomb County Elections Department in May. However, the effort ultimately failed because there was an insufficient amount of valid signatures. 

"It's time to move on. There's another election for township offices next year, and there's no point in wasting any more time or money on this. It just distracts us from doing our jobs," Stathakis told Patch.

Delise said he filed the second round of recall petitions because of what he saw at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

“If you look at them (the board) two nights ago they are already back at it,” said Delise referring to the board’s decision to send a developer’s request to rezone a parcel of land on 23 Mile Road between Schoenherr and Hayes, back to the Planning Commission.

Delise said that once the trustees knew they were in the clear of a recall Tuesday, they started making more rezoning decisions.  Delise added that another reason he wants the trustees recalled is because they are rude to residents and each other.

Trustee Michael Flynn

If the recall language for the three trustees were approved, it would start the recall process over for Flynn, one day after the language on the current recall petition against him expired.

On January 7, Delise filed a recall petition against Flynn and Trustee Doug Wozniak, citing they also voted in favor of the 24 Mile Road rezoning. The language against the two will expire on July 6. However, Delise said he has not been collecting signatures to recall Flynn and Wozniak because he wanted to concentrate of the Stathakis and Viar recall because it would have been difficult to get people to sign four petitions at once.

“It's hard enough to get people to sign on two let alone four. I didn’t want to scare people away,” said Delise.

Flynn said he will not allow the recall efforts to intimidate him.

"Unfortunately Mr. Delise continues to act as a pawn of Mrs. Manzella(Trustee Lisa Manzella), who wants her liberal tax-and-spend polices to go unchecked," Flynn said.  "I however, will not be intimidated into ignoring the rights of the taxpayers.  As long as I have the pleasure of serving I will continue to represent them, not government unions or other special interests."

Delise to Try and Get the Recalls on the November 2011 Ballot

Delise said he is going to try and get the needed 6,318 valid signatures by Aug. 5, in order to get the recall on the November 2011 ballot.

“If not, I will keep going and try to get the recall on the February ballot,” said Delise.  “I have to do something, these guys are getting out of hand.”

Delise said he is hoping to regroup with the people who helped with the last recall effort.

“In the next couple of days, we are going to try and find our mistakes from last time and try to correct them.”

Viar was not available for comment at the time of publication.