Rick Stork turns in a notice of intent for a recall petition to the city clerk Monday. (Garrett Estrada photo)
A recall petition has been filed against Ely Mayor Melody Van Camp by Rick Stork and Don Purinton. This petition follows the previous petition to oust the full Ely City Council last week by Storck, Purinton and Chris Lani.
The petition to recall the mayor was delayed because she hadn’t been in office for six full months after being appointed to the seat upon the passing of former mayor John Hickman. Stork and Purinton filed the notice of intent to file a recall petition with City Hall on Monday, the end of the waiting period.
Stork said the mayor needed to be included with the other council members because she was part of the “chaos” that has surrounded the council and their handling of issues with the Nevada Northern Railway.
City council supporter and Ely resident Tammy Carlgren said the petitions are not the right way to go to have the city make progress with their forensic audit and called into question Stork’s motives for filing them.
“Rick Stork is a disgruntled former city employee and he is looking to strike back at everyone that works for the city,” she said.
Stork and Purinton will be set up outside the north entrance to Ridley’s grocery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to continue gathering signatures.
Tami Carlgren, your comment about me being a former disgruntled employee of the city is just another way for you try and harass me for doing what I feel needs to be done. I will have you know that I had 11 plus good years with the city and decided to retire and enjoy retired life. I have no ill feelings about the City of Ely, just the way the finances has been handled this past year by the Council. The City went from a $900,000 end fund balance to being a shambles. The Council has no idea where the city stands financially.An email that was shown to me by a Councilman from the auditors doing the audit of the city for the past year showed a lot of concerns about fund balances being lower than they should be with no expenditures shown as to why they are. Is this why the Council has gone after the railroad so vigorously is to take their audit out of the minds of the people. After all the City has done an audit of the railroad’s books every year for the past 12 years that I know of and there has never been anything mentioned by the city’s auditors about any monies missing or incorrect amounts shown as to the debt of the railroad. And maybe all of your mud throwing against me is because you might be in violation of set backs on your property and may not have gotten the proper permits to build on your property on Lyons Ave. Is this why you donated all of the flowers for the flower pots on Aultman Street and have the Mayor at your house frequently or you at her shop is to keep you out of their sight for possible City Code Violations… .