Signature count reached
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
With the petition for the Washburn City Commission president officially hitting its mark, a recall election for the city now looks inevitable.
The recall election petition, which has been circulating in August, had until Nov. 6 to gather 99 signatures from eligible voters in Washburn. Recall sponsoring committee member Derek Laning confirmed on Monday that the recall petition had the 99 votes required, though it wasn’t a milestone anyone was celebrating.
“I think it’s a sad thing that it’s come to this,” Laning said of the petition, which, if approved by the Secretary of State, will put City Commission President Larry Thomas up for reelection.
Laning said he felt that Thomas had a lot to offer the community and had the potential to add some valuable insight to the commission, but that his questionable actions have cast a dark shadow.
“He has shown an unwillingness to change or work well with employees,” Laning said. “He has created a very hostile environment for the employees there.”
Laning stated that there was some truth in claims that the petition stemmed partially from Thomas’s documented interactions with other commissioners and city employees, but that it is only one of many issues the petition addresses.
