[paypal_donation_button]FLINT, MI – Mayor Karen Weaver has filed a personal protection order against the Flint man trying to remove her from office, according to officials at the Genesee County Personal Protection office.
The PPO was filed on March 21, 2017 and has been assigned to Genesee County Judge Joseph Farah. As of 4:30 p.m. on March 21, 2017 Farah had not signed off on the PPO.
Arthur Woodson filed recall language on Feb. 24, 2017 to remove Weaver from office over Flint’s controversial trash contract.
Weaver later filed documents on March 17, 2017 with the Genesee County Clerk’s office to appeal Woodson’s recall language that was approved on March 8., 2017
Under Michigan law she had 10 days to file the appeal.
Woodson said he doesn’t understand why Weaver would file a PPO order against him for filing recall language.
“She thinks doing recall and speaking politically about her is harassment,” said Woodson. I haven’t harassed her. She needs to get out of office for real. Her skin is not thick enough to be in office. This is dumb.”
Woodson’s approved language was the fourth attempt to remove Weaver. Another Flint resident, Alex Harris, had also submitted language twice to remove Weaver but the Genesee County Elections Commission did not approve his submissions.
Woodson initially submitted recall language on Jan. 23, 2017. On January 27 he withdrew that language saying he met with Weaver to address his concerns.
He submitted the Feb. 24 language after he said Weaver did not keep promises made at the meeting.
Weaver has not confirmed that she met with Woodson and FlintBeat.com could not reach the mayor or City Spokeswoman Kristin Moore for comment.
Woodson’s language filed with the Genesee County Clerk’s Office on Feb. 24 reads:
“Mayor Karen Weaver, on September 22, 2016 signed an emergency waste collection contract with Rizzo Environmental Service(s).”
The trash dispute lingered for months as Flint City Council members and Weaver’s administration fought over whom would haul Flint’s garbage.
In June 2016, Weaver’s administration asked the council to approve a $17.9 million contract with Rizzo Environmental Services but council members questioned the company’s integrity and later voted 8 to 1 to not support Weaver’s recommendation.
Flint City Councilman Eric Mays was the sole supporter of Weaver’s recommendation.
Ultimately, the council and Weaver’s team came to an agreement to continue using Republic Waste Services to haul Flint’s trash shortly after October 2016 reports that Rizzo was at the center of a federal corruption investigation.
While Weaver is appealing the decision, signature-collecting efforts are on hold but Woodson said his team is still organizing. He has to collect an estimated 5,800 signatures.
So far, there is no official date for Weaver’s appeal hearing but County Clerk officials said the issue will go before Genesee County 7th Circuit Court Judge Geoffrey Neithercut. If the language makes it through court, Woodson would have 60 days to collect signatures to put the issue on the 2017 Flint City Council ballot.
You know what! If I move back to Flint, I’m going to run for Mayor.