Milford Says No To Changing Town Recall Law

MILFORD, MA — Milford residents at a Town Hall meeting Wednesday night voted against changing the town's rules for recalling politicians. A group of citizens sought the change after a failed 2018 attempt to recall Selectman William Kingkade Jr.

Under a 1989 law, the standards to recall an elected official in Milford are:

• At least 10 registered voters are needed to start a recall petition
• The petitioners must get signatures from 20 percent of qualified voters in Milford
• The subject of the recall can resign within five days of the recall petition certification — otherwise, an election for the seat in question will be held. The incumbent can run to keep the seat against other candidates.
• 25 percent of qualified voters must vote in the recall election for it to be valid.

The vote on Wednesday would have reduced some of those standards:

• Petitioners would instead only need signatures from 10 percent of registered voters for a recall petition to be valid
• Only 15 percent of voters would need to participate in the recall election

Milford residents mounted a recall effort against Kingkade in November 2018 after a skirmish over the renewal of former police chief Thomas O'Loughlin's contract. The recall failed to get signatures from 20 percent of eligible Milford voters.