A committee of  citizens has filed the necessary papers to initiate a recall election of Tom Hawkins, Fairmont councilman at-large, stating his recent actions constitute “an abuse of power.” The petition is referring to Hawkins initiating efforts to eliminate the current in-house city attorney position, held by Elizabeth Bloomquist for 30 years, without any prior discussion or input from the majority of the other council members. 19 Committee members bear the responsibility of collecting 881 signatures of Fairmont citizens who are registered voters.

That number equals 15 percent of the people registered at the end of the voting day at the last general election on Nov. 6, 2018, which includes the 301 individuals who registered that day.

The committee is using social media to contact potential signers. The group also plans to go door to door, as well as attend local events.

The recall process is experiencing a few question marks, with the city charter and state statutes offering differing guidelines. The city has secured the services of Flaherty & Hood, a St. Paul law firm with expertise in the matter, and will work with one of the firm’s attorneys throughout the process.