Recall Effort Underway Against BH Commissioners And Mayor

There are some new recall efforts going on in Benton Harbor. On July 27th, language to recall City Commissioners Dennis Knowles and Trenton Bowens was submitted to the Berrien County Clerk. They were filed by residents Jerry Price and Corey Bell, and state that the two commissioners should be removed from office for "failure to work diligently with the state of Michigan to swiftly resolve the financial emergency in the city of Benton Harbor." Also, on Tuesday of this week, Dennis Knowles submitted paperwork to initiate a recall against Mayor James Hightower. In his filing, Knowles cites several reasons for doing so -- among them, Hightower's cooperation with the emergency manager while other elected officials have been shut out, and his having attended private meetings with state officials and others to make decisions about the city's future. The Berrien County Election Commission will meet on August 13th to decide on the clarity of the submitted recall language. If it's deemed sufficiently clear, backers of the recalls would have to begin collecting petition signatures to force a vote.