Whitehall recall election set for May 28

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The City of Whitehall will hold a special election on May 28 to decide whether the mayor and two city council members should be removed from office.

Election officials originally suggested May 26, but some councilmembers wanted more time for people after Memorial Day. Five councilmembers voted yes, while three, including the two councilmembers up for elections, voted no.

By the city charter, Whitehall is legally bound to move forward with the recall election and set a date within 30 to 60 days. But a lawsuit filed by former Whitehall Councilmember and former city attorney Michael Shannon in the state supreme court challenges that.

He argues the charter's language means there is a higher threshold for the number of votes to trigger a recall than what was in the certified recall petitions.