Kimball mayor safe from recall election

KIMBALL -- The recall proceedings of Mayor John Morrison will not move forward as the required signatures were not collected. 

Morrison will retain his position as mayor until his term is over in December of 2026. 

Ron Buchart of Kimball initiated the recall process and began collecting signatures on a petition form in November in hopes of holding a special election to vote Morrison out of office. 

Buchart needed to collect 280 signatures within 30 days but fell short by less than 100 signatures. Dec. 12 was the final day to collect signatures, and as of Dec. 9, he needed 90 more signatures. 

In a Facebook post on Dec. 13, Buchart thanked those who signed the petition for their support.  

“We did not make it to 280; however, it was a good learning experience for us,” he stated. “The only thing I hope this has done now is get more people involved with our community.” 

Gabriel Miller, who was assisting Buchart in the effort to collect signatures, said in a comment that in talking with members of the community, “it is clear some things could change for the better.” 

Community member Christina Hundley commented, saying: “This really saddens me that people didn’t stand up and sign. But to those of us that did congratulations. Maybe it will open up his eyes and others as well. This also lets him know we are watching and NOT happy.” 

Miller suggests that Morrison should be more in touch with what the community thinks about decisions, and this could be accomplished by holding a public meeting once a month where the community can ask him questions and give their feedback and insight about certain topics. 

“After all, he did say everything he is doing and will do is for the betterment of Kimball,” Miller continued. “With that said, the same goes with me; if the public sees me doing something or if there's something I can do better please let me know.”