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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend April 21, 2006 Gold Hill council members to face recall Council members say they are being targeted for questioning of city’s police chief By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune GOLD HILL — Three council members face a May recall over accusations of misconduct and failure to support the police department. Gus Wolf, Donna Silva and Jan Fish say they will fight to retain their seats against the recall launched by Gold Hill resident Allan Scott Baker. Jackson County election officials verified Thursday that each petition had the required 61 valid signatures. The council members have five days to resign or submit a 200-word response for the May 23 special election, said Jackson County Clerk Kathy Beckett. Advertisement Wolf, Silva and Fish say they are being politically targeted for asking tough questions of the city’s police chief. "We pledged to the citizens of Gold Hill that we would have a police department with accountability," said Wolf. "We don’t have that." When asked if any other council members had signed the petitions, City Recorder and Treasurer Mary Goddard said Mayor Sherry Young and Councilwoman Kathleen Price had signed all three. "I kind of expected it out of them," said Wolf. "Sherry is trying to seize control of the council." Council members Mike Hicks and Tom Daily did not sign the petitions, Goddard said. Baker and Price did not return phone calls seeking comment Thursday. Young stated she had "no comment" and hung up the line. Baker was successful in his 2004 recall effort against former councilwoman Christine Alford. Baker has accused Wolf of seeking to eliminate the police department. He threatened Wolf, Silva and Fish with recall and demanded their resignations during a January meeting, saying they were unsupportive of the department. The council members contend that Muchow has mismanaged department funds and embarrassed the city with his ongoing legal battles in Union, his former place of employment. Muchow could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Muchow was indicted in September 2004 on misdemeanor charges including official misconduct and theft after resigning as chief of police in Union. Two of the charges were dismissed, and Muchow was found not guilty on two charges of official misconduct in a short jury trial. Muchow faces non-related new charges of felony theft and criminal trespass filed in December 2005 by Union County District Attorney Martin Birnbaum. "Is nobody else upset about this?" Wolf said. Silva said she remains troubled over Muchow’s April and May 2005 Visa card charges of $4,183.76 — which included $900 in charges for alcohol, gift certificates and group meals. The council’s decision to return an $800 reimbursement check from Muchow was a mistake, she said. The food and gift card expenditures were given to volunteers for their help in remodeling the city’s former library space into a police station, Muchow said in July 2005. Silva said volunteers know they are unpaid. "I don’t believe the citizens of Gold Hill knew their tax money was being used to pay individuals for volunteer hours," Silva said. Fish said Muchow "dropped the ball" when he failed to file for a renewal of the city’s police levy in time for the November 2005 election. "The current levy expires at the end of June," says Fish. "We’ll have money for a chief of police but no officer." The recall election should cost about $1 per voter, Beckett said, adding there are currently 689 registered voters in Gold Hill. The council members plan community meetings to explain their position before the election. "I plan on going door to door and present my case," said Wolf. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail Gold Hill council members to face recall ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s