Nearly eight months after our last general election, drums of hate and discontent are still beating within Northglenn. The raucous sounds of recall have been heard from several former leaders within our community. If their threats and promises have been real, soon you may be asked to sign one or more recall petitions against their selected targets. Before you sign one of these legal documents, please understand the consequences of your actions.

First, why have a "recall"? A recall is a public, electoral process specified in state and local law to replace an elected official. Conceptually, it is to remove an elected official from office before that official's elected term expires.

Historically, recall has been used successfully to remove elected officials from their elected office for various acts ranging from criminal conduct to simple "incompetence." But only vary rarely has recall been successful for what I'd call "political discretion," i.e., for making what is a "reasoned-but-unpopular" decision on one or a few issues.

On the other hand, historically, the recall process has also been used to make a political point without any realistic expectation of success.In other words, recalls are most often used for purposes of political harassment. It's my experience that the voting public will not support a recall (nor look favorably on those that propose the question) for anything less than very specific charges (reasons) that are both:

• Recognized by ordinary citizens as clearly reprehensible (or criminal) "official misconduct" (as opposed to "personal misconduct"), AND
• Are clearly evident (demonstrable or provable.)

A recall is always a divisive, unpleasant, antagonistic, and usually destructive process. During a recall, people, careers, reputations, families, finances, and the near future are always in jeopardy, and frequently irreparably harmed. Recall is a nasty process! Recall is akin to a political war rather than a political debate.

Recalls are also expensive. For each incumbent being recalled, the city incurs the cost of an election and other related expenses. The city and residents suffer from the delays in governmental processes that happen because council members and staff are distracted from their normal duties to deal with the recall issues. In the end, even if a recall is successful, the community's real problems won't have changed or gone away. What's more, if a recall is not successful, the city's taxpayers must reimburse the successful incumbent, and the incumbent becomes free from further attempts at recall and is therefore free to be even more objectionable to the proponents of recall.

In short, do not sign any recall petition unless you feel strongly that the charges are provableand you are certain that the recall will be successful and truly not just "harassment" to try to make a political statement.

Robert L. (Bob) McCoy

Resident and former City Council Member, Northglenn