1,800 Signatures Collected in One Week, Submitted to Board of Elections
Loveland, OH – One week after petitions for the recall of Loveland Mayor Mark Fitzgerald were rejected due to issues with the wording on the petition, Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) will be back at the Hamilton County Board of Elections to once again submit recall petitions. This round of petitions includes approximately 1,800 signatures of Loveland residents collected in just one week.
“Two weeks ago, we were elated to submit over 2,050 resident signatures in support of the mayor recall – nearly twice the number needed – only to have the petitions rejected a week later based on the language of the petition itself,” said LCHPAC leader and spokesperson Halie Rebeccaschild. “It was a significant setback, but it didn’t last long. An astounding 1,800 signatures were collected over the past week.” To put that in perspective, the initial round of 2,050 recall signatures was collected over a nine-week period, for an average of 225 signatures per week. The second signature collection averaged more than 225 signatures per day. “In the end, residents will have their voices heard at the ballot box in November,” said Rebeccaschild.
“The outpouring of support from across the community has been very uplifting,” said LCHPAC member and signature collection volunteer Jane Gonzales. “I think everyone loves an underdog, and citizens have been taking time out of their day to track us down and re-sign. When drivers and joggers wave and honk, it makes standing on a street corner for three hours a whole lot more bearable,” said Gonzales.
Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) initiated the recall of Loveland Mayor Mark Fitzgerald in June amid growing dissatisfaction with Fitzgerald’s conduct as mayor and the scandal that has surfaced related to his past employment as city administrator of North College Hill. The 1,800 signatures included in the petitions submitted today represent approximately 20% of registered Loveland voters and well exceed the number of signatures required to get the recall initiative on the ballot in November.
“I was unhappy about the direction of downtown Loveland development, and I was appalled when I heard the kinds of things Mayor Fitzgerald was doing and saying in council meetings and behind closed doors. But like everyone else, I felt helpless,” said Loveland resident and recall volunteer James McKenna, “I’m thrilled the recall petition will put the choice on the ballot. Loveland residents are now aware of the issues. I feel certain we’re going to vote him out,” he said.
With just one week to recollect recall signatures, on Friday, July 28, LCHPAC launched a blitz signature campaign to meet the aggressive deadline for petition submission. Signing stations were set up across Loveland and volunteers also went door to door in neighborhoods to collect signatures for a second time. The new petition was reviewed and approved by legal counsel in light of feedback from the board of elections on the problematic wording in the original version.
About Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC
Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee is a resident-stakeholder organization driving transparency and a high standard of ethics in Loveland, Ohio. LCHPAC was created in January 2017 with the objective of improving the representation on Loveland City Council via candidate support prior to the November 2017 election, as well as the recall of Mayor Fitzgerald. LCHPAC is registered with the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
RECALL OF LOVELAND MAYOR GETS NEW LIFE
1,800 Signatures Collected in One Week, Submitted to Board of Elections
Loveland, OH – One week after petitions for the recall of Loveland Mayor Mark Fitzgerald were rejected due to issues with the wording on the petition, Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) will be back at the Hamilton County Board of Elections to once again submit recall petitions. This round of petitions includes approximately 1,800 signatures of Loveland residents collected in just one week.
“Two weeks ago, we were elated to submit over 2,050 resident signatures in support of the mayor recall – nearly twice the number needed – only to have the petitions rejected a week later based on the language of the petition itself,” said LCHPAC leader and spokesperson Halie Rebeccaschild. “It was a significant setback, but it didn’t last long. An astounding 1,800 signatures were collected over the past week.” To put that in perspective, the initial round of 2,050 recall signatures was collected over a nine-week period, for an average of 225 signatures per week. The second signature collection averaged more than 225 signatures per day. “In the end, residents will have their voices heard at the ballot box in November,” said Rebeccaschild.
“The outpouring of support from across the community has been very uplifting,” said LCHPAC member and signature collection volunteer Jane Gonzales. “I think everyone loves an underdog, and citizens have been taking time out of their day to track us down and re-sign. When drivers and joggers wave and honk, it makes standing on a street corner for three hours a whole lot more bearable,” said Gonzales.
Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) initiated the recall of Loveland Mayor Mark Fitzgerald in June amid growing dissatisfaction with Fitzgerald’s conduct as mayor and the scandal that has surfaced related to his past employment as city administrator of North College Hill. The 1,800 signatures included in the petitions submitted today represent approximately 20% of registered Loveland voters and well exceed the number of signatures required to get the recall initiative on the ballot in November.
“I was unhappy about the direction of downtown Loveland development, and I was appalled when I heard the kinds of things Mayor Fitzgerald was doing and saying in council meetings and behind closed doors. But like everyone else, I felt helpless,” said Loveland resident and recall volunteer James McKenna, “I’m thrilled the recall petition will put the choice on the ballot. Loveland residents are now aware of the issues. I feel certain we’re going to vote him out,” he said.
With just one week to recollect recall signatures, on Friday, July 28, LCHPAC launched a blitz signature campaign to meet the aggressive deadline for petition submission. Signing stations were set up across Loveland and volunteers also went door to door in neighborhoods to collect signatures for a second time. The new petition was reviewed and approved by legal counsel in light of feedback from the board of elections on the problematic wording in the original version.
About Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC
Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee is a resident-stakeholder organization driving transparency and a high standard of ethics in Loveland, Ohio. LCHPAC was created in January 2017 with the objective of improving the representation on Loveland City Council via candidate support prior to the November 2017 election, as well as the recall of Mayor Fitzgerald. LCHPAC is registered with the Hamilton County Board of Elections.