A community-led effort to recall a College Park councilmember was recently dropped just as the case was heading back to court this month.
The case to recall the now-Mayor Pro Tem, Jamelle McKenzie, was formally dismissed in April. An evidentiary hearing was set for last week; however, according to Fulton Superior Court documents, both parties “mutually agreed” to drop the case.
A recall refers to a power reserved to the voters that allows them, by petition, to demand the removal of an elected official. The effort was led by members of a community group called United College Park, or UCP.
“To be clear, many … remain deeply concerned about Ms. McKenzie’s behavior and decision-making since taking office. The withdrawal of the recall does not erase those concerns,” said resident and UCP member Sherry Godfrey via Facebook.
Residents in her district expressed an overall dissatisfaction with McKenzie’s performance as a councilmember, citing alleged unprofessional, dishonest, and intimidating behavior.
Heading into the fall, McKenzie challenged the application for the recall via a lawsuit. She questioned whether the application for the petition was legally sufficient.
“I know that they got people to sign the recall, but there are concerns about the signatures that were placed,” McKenize said soon after taking legal action.
Georgia state law says a recall application must have at least 100 signatures from registered voters and be submitted for verification by the election superintendent or city clerk.
UCP responded to McKenize’s suit, and a hearing was set for October 2024.
“We believe it will go in our direction, then we have to go get … votes after that, then it ends up on a ballot for people to actually decide whether or not she comes out of that seat,” said Mose James IV, a respondent in the case after the October hearing.
James’ attorney confirmed that the recall application got double the number of signature requirements.
According to a Fulton Superior Court search, both parties were notified this year that an evidentiary hearing was set for early May.
However, as the legal process continued and things like depositions came up, members of United College Park noted how costly the efforts were becoming. They say the group was paying out of pocket for the court expenses.
So, the group says they chose to drop the recall effort, despite what court documents state.
“I don’t think it’s a mutual agreement,” said Elizabeth Lester, a College Park resident and member of United College Park. “We independently made a decision to withdraw the recall. By our withdrawing the recall, [McKenzie] has no legal case.”
In a statement to WABE, Councilwoman McKenize expressed appreciation for the matters coming to a close.
“Now we can continue to focus on building a stronger, more unified College Park. Resolving this matter was an important step towards uniting our city.“ McKenzie said.
