Amador County – Ione City Hall received notice Monday that enough signatures had been gathered to force a recall election on Mayor David Plank, and the election likely will fall in the month of February 2012.

George Allen, Amador County deputy registrar of voters notified the city that a sufficient number of valid signatures had been received by proponents of the recall, for the petition to be valid and to initiate the election.

City Clerk Janice Traverso said the city was notified Monday that the petitioners had provided enough signatures to go forth with the recall of Plank. It required the signatures of 20 percent of registered Ione voters.

Traverso said the recall notification will be on the Ione City Council agenda next Tuesday, Oct. 18, for the council to accept the certification notice from the Amador County Election Department. She said the City Council at the meeting following that, in November, likely would consider a resolution which has the date of recall election.

She said it cannot be any less than 88 days or any more than 125 days after the notice of certification, which will probably put the special election at around the month of February. Traverso estimated the special election would cost about $5,000.

The recall would also have an open time for nominations, and she said the filing for replacement candidates and its timeline will depend on when the election is held.

The group, “Voice in Ione” announced the declaration in a release Tuesday.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.