FeedsRecall effort falls short in Van Buren Township
Voters in Van Buren Township voted Tuesday to keep four officials targeted for recall in office.
When the polls closed Tuesday and the votes were counted the four officials—Supervisor Paul White, Clerk Leon Wright, and trustees Al Ostrowski and Denise Partridge—kept their post by about a 400 vote margin.
“I’m very pleased that the voters chose to support us,” White said Wednesday morning. He said he had been fielding supportive calls all morning. “I think the residents were able to see through all the misstatements, inaccuracies and falsehoods.”
About 3,926 votes were cast. In an election where ‘yes’ meant to recall, White received 1,761 yes votes and 2,154 no’s. Wright received 1,723 yes votes and 2,183 no’s. Ostrowski received 1,717 yes votes and 2,178 no’s. Partridge received 1,689 yes votes and 2,145 no’s.
Bob Thorne, a critic of the current administration and member of the recall committee said he was surprised at the outcome and the turnout.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Thorne. “Obviously we didn’t out message out to the voters.”
Don Schoenberger, a resident and critic of the administration, said he was disappointed to. He said he would continue to keep an eye on township politics and speak up at meetings when necessary.
“I’m not going to give up,” he said. “I don’t like what the guy (White) does.”
White said he was not surprised at the outcome or the support of the residents who voted to put him and the other three in office in 2008 and, now, to keep them there.
“I had complete confidence in our residents from the day the recall petitions were approved,” he said.
Thorne said the challenge now was to heal the rift the issues have caused in the community.
“We still live here; it’s our community,” he said. “We’ll come together and move forward in a positive direction.”
