The effort to recall Falcon Fire Protection District board member Greg Heule is making progress. Resident Terry Reed said he has collected more than 345 signatures on the recall petition, which needs at least 300 valid signatures to be accepted by Leon Gomes, the designated election official.ìWe now have over three times more signatures to recall Greg Heule than the number that got him elected in 2012,î Reed said.The recall effort for Heule is in response to his involvement in an investigation in March and April 2013 that focused on Trent Harwig, fire chief; Jeff Petersma, battalion chief; and Cory Galicia, battalion chief; according to the April issue of The New Falcon Herald. The three chiefs were put on paid leave April 24.Harwig and Petersma were subsequently reinstated to their positions without disciplinary action taken against them, but Galicia was demoted and decided to leave the FFPD, citing a $13,600 pay decrease, according to the article.Reed said that once he turns in the petitions Gomes will have to determine the validity of each signature. If there are at least 300 valid signatures, Gomes will then have to notify Heule. ìHe (Heule) can resign if he chooses, or he can challenge the validity of the petitioners or he can also contact the petitioners and ask them if they wish to be removed from the petition,î Gomes said.If Heule doesnít resign and at least 300 valid signatures remain on the petition, an additional election will be held so the constituents can vote for or against his recall, Gomes said. That election could include the name of a replacement candidate for people to elect in place of Heule, he said.Depending on whether the additional election is a mail-in ballot election or a polling place election, the cost could be as high as $6,000, Gomes said. ìBased on their (the FFPDís) history, it will probably be a polling place election, which costs less, but we donít know yet if a mail-in ballot election is required for a recall,î he said.
