Rock and Kawa file Petition for Writ of Review for 5 to 3
Seek to overturn vote on May 8 Special Election regarding number of Sublette County Commissioners
by Pinedale Online!
May 25, 2012
Sublette County residents Paul Rock and Ernie Kawa have filed a civil suit in Sublette County District Court against Sublette County Clerk, Mary Lankford seeking a Writ of Review regarding the May 8, 2012 Special Election which reduced the number of county commissioners from 5 to 3. Pinedale lawyer, Michael Crosson, is the attorney handling the case representing Rock and Kawa.
In their petition, filed on Wednesday, May 23rd, Rock and Kawa argue that the May 8th Special Election to decrease the membership of the Sublette County Board of Commissioners was illegal. Their complaint states that they are aggrieved due to Lankford’s failure to put two additional commissioners on the scheduled general election in November.
The petition argues that Lankford should have allowed the results of the August 16, 2011 Special Election, which increased the number of commissioners from 3 to 5, to go to an election to seat two new commissioners before allowing a second election on the issue which negated the results of the first election. Their petition asserts that the May 8, 2012 election was illegal because the subsequent special election could only take place after an election seating additional members has taken place, after the 2012 general election.
Rock and Kawa seek to have the court declare the May 8, 2012 election null and void and for three commissioner seats to be placed on the ballot for the 2012 general election.
Ernie Kawa is running for county commissioner in the November, 2012 election.
Paul Rock spearheaded the petition in the summer of 2011 which gained enough signatures to bring the question of increasing the number of commissioners from 3 to 5 in the August, 2011 Special Election. The question passed, with 28 % of Sublette County residents voting. Other citizens, unhappy with that result, began another petition drive and gathered enough signatures to initiate another special election to decrease the number of commissioners from 5 back to 3. That second special election was held on May 8, 2012, with voters overturning the August vote with a 45.8% voters turn-out.
Click on this link to read the petition (10 page, 413K PDF, Civil No. 2012-8000)
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