OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A resident of Park Township has filed a petition to recall Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel. She is the first member of Ottawa Impact to have a recall petition filed against her.
The Ottawa County Clerk’s Office shared a copy of the petition with FOX 17. The petition says on Feb. 28, Ebel voted in favor of a motion that would have reversed Adeline Hambley’s selection as the county’s health officer on Dec. 13, 2022.
View a copy of the petition below:
Ebel.recall.petition.language by WXMI on Scribd
Ebel reportedly voted in favor of the Feb. 28 motion following a challenge from Hambley toward her appointment as interim health officer.
Hambley filed a lawsuit, which is currently working its way through the Court of Appeals.
Last week, the court denied a motion from Hambley to have the Court of Appeals oversee any proceedings if the board of commissioners moved to fire her.
Her request came after the court tossed a preliminary injunction earlier this month that shielded Hambley from being fired while her lawsuit worked its way through court.
The majority-Republican board has been trying to replace her with Nathaniel Kelly, a man whose resume shows no public health experience.
Back on April 18, Muskegon Circuit Court Judge Jenny L. McNeill released an opinion barring Ottawa County commissioners from firing Hambley and denying their request to dismiss the lawsuit.
Judges will now hear arguments from both sides on whether a Muskegon County judge was wrong for issuing the injunction and affirming Hambley's claim that she was appointed health officer by the previous board.
The lawsuit against Ottawa County commissioners stems from a January 3 meeting where commissioners voted to demote Hambley to interim health officer and announced their intention to replace her with Kelly.
In her lawsuit, Hambley accuses multiple commissioners, and newly hired County Administrator John Gibbs, of interfering in her ability to do her job.
July 3 marked the first day a recall petition could be filed against a newly-elected county commissioner. Under Michigan law, any official serving a two-year term cannot be recalled in the first or last six months of their term.
We're told an election commission clarity hearing will take place Monday, July 17 at the Fillmore Complex, main conference room.
If the recall petition is approved and enough valid signatures are gathered, a special recall election will be added to the ballot for the November general election.
READ MORE: Court of Appeals denies motion from Ottawa County health officer
