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JOSEPHINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Recall petitioner says Commissoner Simon Hare's DUII arrest 'final straw' Says Hare's DUII arrest 'final straw' By Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 2, 2016 @ 12:09 pm By Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 2, 2016 @ 12:09 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> A petition to recall Josephine County Commissioner Simon Hare was approved by the County Clerk's Office Wednesday. Chief petitioner Mark Kelsey, a Grants Pass resident who is running for Position 2 on the Board of Commissioners in the 2016 election, submitted paperwork Tuesday to start the effort. The recall effort was spurred by Hare's arrest on a charge of drunken driving in Eugene on Dec. 10. He was there to attend a two-day meeting of the Association of O&C Counties. Although Hare missed the second day of the gathering, he was still voted in as the organization's vice president. It was the third time in as many years that Hare has found himself in hot water after heading out for a drink. In 2013, he was investigated because of allegations he filed a false police report regarding his missing Jeep after a night out. Last year, a cellphone prank gone wrong earned him the scorn of many county residents. "I think the final straw was the DUI," Kelsey said. "Before, the drinking was something to be concerned about. But this was the tipping point." Kelsey, a truck driver who runs a Facebook group that monitors police scanner activity, is among the challengers seeking to unseat Hare's colleague on the Board of Commissioners, Keith Heck. Hare was re-elected last year to a second term on the board. County Clerk Trisha Meyers said the filing was approved on Wednesday and that Kelsey has 90 days to collect 5,094 signatures — the equivalent of 15 percent of voters who cast ballots in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Eligibility to sign the recall petition is limited to voters who are registered in Josephine County. Kelsey said he intends to collect 7,000 signatures by March 28. Meyers and her staff then have 10 days to verify the signatures. If enough of them check out, Hare can either step down or submit a letter of justification for keeping his seat, which triggers a recall election to be held within 35 days. Hare has remained silent on the subject of his arrest since an interview with the Daily Courier on Dec. 17. His attorney, Jacob Daniels of Creswell, submitted a statement in response to requests for comment. In it, Daniels said that Hare plans to serve the remainder of his term. Oregon has a low threshold for recalling elected officials, and recall campaigns are not unusual in Josephine County. In 2011, Commissioner Sandi Cassanelli was recalled by a margin of 71 percent to 29 percent. Critics said she was hindering economic development, failing to support public safety funding and behaving unprofessionally, among other things. Also in 2011, there was a recall effort against three members of the Wolf Creek Fire District Board, but organizers never submitted signatures. In 2009, five members of the Grants Pass City Council were recalled in a contentious showdown with then-Mayor Mike Murphy over control of City Hall and the city manager's office. And in spring 2008, a recall effort against Commissioner Jim Raffenburg failed when fewer than half of the required signatures had been gathered by the 60-day mark. The effort against Raffenburg was spearheaded by Cherryl Walker, who has since been elected to the Board of Commissioners. Walker became the target of a recall campaign last year over her role in unpopular nuisance ordinances rejected by voters in 2013. That effort failed at an unusual stage — the petitioners submitted enough signatures, but the Clerk's Office rejected the petition after two separate audits concluded that too many of the signatures were invalid. Reach reporter Eder Campuzano at 541-474-3722 or [email protected]. By Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 2, 2016 @ 12:09 pm » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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