RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A group is demanding answers after, they claim, the city clerk accepted petition signatures to have councilwoman Julia Botel removed from office but did not count them.
The committee held a news conference on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Riviera Beach city hall.
Members say they gathered more than 2,700 signatures supporting the recall efforts of Botel. However, the group claims when organizers showed up to turn in the signatures, the clerk accepted but refused to count the petitions.
The city of Riviera Beach released the following statement Monday afternoon:
The City of Riviera Beach Clerk’s Office has properly accepted a petition of signatures collected by a community group to recall one of the City’s Councilmembers.
As the gatekeeper of public records, the Clerk’s Office is strongly committed to following the law as it relates to receipt of the petition to recall the Elected Official.
The City Clerk’s Office — which diligently processes thousands of records requests each year — accepted the recall petition from the recall committee on Aug. 8 and immediately transmitted the petition that same day to the Supervisor of Elections Office, as required by State law.
Under State law, the Clerk and her staff were not required to count the petition signatures in the presence of the committee.
The group first filed the petition last month after Botel's comments ahead of a controversial beach party held on Singer Island.
Botel represents District 4 in Riviera Beach, which includes Singer Island. She won re-election just last year.
