Selectmen Reject Recall Petition-July 18, 1974

Against Finance Commissioner George Elias

The decision was made at a special meeting on July 17, 1974, after a heated debate and a vote of 32-0.

The recall petition, led by Dominic J. Puopolo, a certified public accountant from 130 Ridgewood Drive, had gathered 296 certified signatures, exceeding the required 200 to force an election. However, the selectmen argued that the petition did not strictly meet charter recall specifications, citing the requirement that one signer of each petition sheet also sign an affidavit on that sheet certifying the truth of the petition charges and the validity of its signatures.

Town Counsel Justin C. Barton acknowledged that the petition did not comply with the charter requirements but stated that the “nature of the noncompliance was not such as to vitiate the entire recall petition.” He advised the selectmen to set a later date for the recall election, despite the charter restrictions, to give potential candidates time to file nomination papers and the registrars’ hands to check on the same day.

Selectman William F. Butters argued that if a new correct petition were filed, potential candidates for a special election would be on notice that they had to have nomination papers filed by the day the recall petition was to be officially certified. He urged the board to reject the Puopolo recall petition, stating that it would avoid “a serious mistake that could affect the lives of many people.”

The selectmen ultimately voted against the recall petition, with Selectman Curran breaking a 2-2 tie on the board by supporting the rejection motion. After the meeting, Mr. Puopolo expressed his disappointment and frustration, stating that he did not know if he would file another petition to recall Mr. Elias.

The decision to reject the recall petition was seen as a significant victory for Mr. Elias, who had been criticized for his lack of attendance at FinCom meetings and his failure to respond to letters from the commission asking him to resign his position. However, the controversy surrounding the recall petition highlighted the complexities and challenges of local government in Norwood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger