ATHENS, Ohio — At its regular meeting Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Athens County Board of Elections passed a resolution to hold a recall election for Nelsonville City Council’s charter-based members, to take place in May 2027.
The charter council passed a resolution Oct. 14 asking for a Dec. 15 special recall election. The charter council approved the resolution to address valid petitions submitted by statutory council members and others.
A Dec. 15 election would have left the elections board with only a few weeks to prepare — while simultaneously overseeing results of the Nov. 3 general election.
Instead, the board decided to hold the recall in the May 4, 2027, primary election. The board listed a variety of reasons for the decision, including the Nelsonville charter’s requirement that the election must occur at least 75 days after the clerk of council certifies a petition.
“I’ll just note that this is a very tough thing, and the only thing that we can do is follow the law and make sure that we lawfully hold every election,” board member Lauren Dikis said at the meeting.
The board did not identify successors to the seats. The charter city council’s resolution did not acknowledge the issue of successors or name individuals who would fill seats vacated in the recall.
The board’s counsel, Athens County Assistant Prosecutor TL Warren, said he would seek clarity regarding successors via the city’s legal representation.
The targets of the recall are charter-based council members Amy Hollenbaugh, Charlotte Beach, Cameron Peck, Gregg Clement, McCray Powell, Nic Joseph-Saul and Nancy Sonick.
Members of Nelsonville’s statutory council group attended the meeting, including Sherman. Sherman and council member Sue Powell both expressed disappointment that the recall election could not take place sooner.
“I don’t think it’s fair that they went to a primary,” Sherman told the Independent. “I think this is just another ploy by the prosecutor’s office to stop from recalling the charter council.”
Sue Powell added, “We just every turn, every time we go around the door and try to help the residents of Nelsonville, it’s a slam in the face.”
Sherman and Powell both alleged that the city will be bankrupt by the end of the year, due to financial mismanagement by the charter-based government.
The Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to rule on which city government is the lawful one. A case filed by the statutory council remains before the court.
“We won’t last till May if the Supreme Court doesn’t [decide],” Powell said.
Timeline
| Sept. 29 | Nelsonville City Council Clerk Erica Padgett submits the petitions she received to Athens County Board of Elections to recall Amy Hollenbaugh, Charlotte Beach, Cameron Peck, Gregg Clement, McCray Powell, Nic Joseph-Saul and Nancy Sonick. |
| Oct. 1 | Athens County Board of Elections returns signature verification results to the Nelsonville City Council clerk. |
| Oct. 2 | Former Nelsonville City Council Clerk Danielle Huber verifies that recall petition signatures meet threshold requirements set by the city charter. |
| Oct. 14 | Nelsonville City Council passes a resolution finding the recall petition sufficient and sets the special election date for Tuesday, Dec. 15. |
| Oct. 19 | The Athens County Board of Elections receives ballot resolution language for recall election. |
| Oct. 21 | The Athens County Board of Elections sets the Nelsonville recall for May 2027. |
| May 4, 2027 | Primary election. |
