As the square wall clock in Old City Hall ticked a minute beyond 8:00 pm, the crowd inside Old City Hall for the City Council meeting became unsettled. All knew that at any moment that the Jackson County Elections Division would be posting the results of the recall election. When news finally came across my Blackberry, I signaled Mayor Becker, who asked me to approach the microphone with the results I’d scribbled on a notepad. After the crowd heard me say the vote was 336 to recall vs. 593 against,” the room erupted in applause for Donna Schatz. Ironically, moments before the results were broadcast, the Council named Hubert Smith to the Public Safety Commission. Smith was the Chief Petitioner who spearheaded the recall effort which most residents considered a complete waste of time, money and energy.
A moment later, a humble and relaxed-looking Schatz thanked everyone for their support.
The final numbers indicate that the recall generated a 46% voter turnout with 929 of Jacksonville’s 2024 registered voters participating.