RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A Riviera Beach citizens group claims the city clerk is thwarting their efforts to get a recall election on the ballot.
The group called the Committee to Reclaim Riviera Beach corralled more than 2,400 signatures to place a recall of Singer Island councilmember Julia Botel on the November ballot.
They claim Botel spread misinformation and stoked unnecessary fears about a July Fourth beach party on the island attended largely by minorities.
City Clerk Claudene Anthony forwarded the signatures for the recall election to the county supervisor of elections.
But the group claims the clerk is purposefully stalling recall attempts by not counting and verifying signatures the group gathered.
Riviera Beach spokeswoman Nicole Rodriguez denied the allegation, saying the city is following state law.
But a leading member of the citizens group says the law shows the city clerk is at fault.
“Because at the end of the day, you have a job to do,” said Shandra Stringer. “And also, you have the law to uphold, and so when that is not happening, some answers need to be made and some questions need to be addressed.”
Stringer said her group is considering a lawsuit to get the clerk to count the signatures.
Anthony and Botel, the target of the recall election efforts, did not return Contact 5's calls seeking comment.