Detroit Mayor Dave Bing could face recall election - My29 WFTC Minneapolis-St. Paul

By Maurielle Lue
Fox 2 News

DETROIT (WJBK) -- The Wayne County Election Commission confirms that a recall petition for Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has been approved.  Just 43,000 signatures are needed to call a special election as early as mid-February.

The petition was approved last month on the grounds that Bing reduced hours that police precincts are open to the public.

John Cromer, a Detroit businessman and community activist, says he received an elusive text message invitation to a meeting to rally support for the recall effort.

"We had a couple community leaders, a couple clergy, as well as state representation from the House of Representatives that was part of this meeting."

Cromer says some of the city's prominent movers and shakers, including religious leaders and state Rep. John Olumba, came to the meeting.  Some, Cromer says, are friends of the mayor.

"But when I arrived to the meeting, I was socked by some of the faces that I saw. Some of these faces were actually supporters of the mayor who were actually part of his installation, who I actually saw at his office or in his conference room."

Cromer says in this private meeting leaders announced they'd already acquired a few thousand signatures, but he was kicked out shortly after for suggested this effort would be too expensive for the taxpayers.

"I was politely asked to leave after I certainly did not agree with this approach. I think that a recall at this juncture would be... the wrong message.  It would certainly cost our taxpayers money if we were to have a special election."

A special election would cost Detroiters at least half a million dollars, but that would only happen if all 43,000 signatures are collected in the next three and a half months.

So what does Mayor Bing say about this? I was told by his office they will have no comment for this story.

I also reached out to state Rep. Olumba.  So far my calls have not been returned.