3 Stoughton Selectmen To Face Recall Vote

STOUGHTON, MA — Three members of the Stoughton Board of Selectmen will face a recall vote in the near future.

Recall organizers announced Monday night that the Stoughton Town Clerk's office has certified the signatures for a recall vote against Selectmen David Sousa, Robert Cohn, and Peter Brown, allowing the election to move forward. All three men will have five days to resign before an election is scheduled.

A recall election can happen no sooner than 64 days after certification, according to state law.

The recall effort was kick-started following a heated meeting that saw the ousting of former Town Manager Michael Hartman, whose contract with the town expired on June 30. Supports of the recall say the appointment of an interim town manager was done without any public input and Hartman's removal was not done with a discharge vote from four selectmen, as required by the town charter. A Norfolk Superior Court judge recently ruled that the six-months notice was sufficient and the additional step of discharging Hartman with four votes by the selectmen was not necessary, despite being required by the town charter.

Since Hartman's departure, Town Accountant William Rowe was initially the interim town manager, but that title is now held by former Selectman Steve Anastos.

Earlier this month, Brown said he was extremely disappointed by the petition, calling it a political mechanism. He said he attempted to remedy the situation between Hartman and the selectmen in the weeks leading up to the end of his contract, but a deal was not reached.

Sousa has alluded that a "shadow government" is behind the recall and is attempting to gain power by throwing him off the board.

Brown was elected to office as a write-in candidate in 2016, Sousa was elected to his second term this year, and Cohn is up for election next year.

Image: File Photo