When the recall petition is finished, how do we get a new mayor? Is one appointed by the council?
No, the Council DOES NOT appoint a new mayor. Upon successfully completing the petition, it will be submitted to the township clerk to be certified. This process is expected to happen mid-to-late June. Legally, there is a 10 day certification period in which all signatures must be verified as legible and legitimate. Once officially certified, we will make arrangements for the recall question to appear on the November ballot.
There will also be a question regarding the additional candidate(s) for mayor ON THE SAME BALLOT. So, essentially, Laforet would be a “lame duck” for July/August/September/October and this time would be used to campaign for the mayor’s replacement. Bill Laforet may decide to have his name on the ballot. His ego is so big that this is a distinct possibility. The people of Mahwah must unite and vote together for the same candidate. We can not afford to split the vote. During the last mayoral election, 62% of Mahwah voted against Laforet, but he still won because the vote was split three ways. He only won by 92 votes. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN.