Delta County Independent: A recall effort to unseat Crawford mayor Wanda Gofforth failed after the votes were tallied Tuesday, Feb. 7. More than 55 percent of the voters were against the recall effort. The tally was 99 against the recall and 79 in favor.

Gofforth was elected mayor in April 2016, serving a four-year term. She edged out Gil Saunders by one vote — 61-60. Saunders was on the recall ballot as the only successor candidate, but the defeat of the recall question made the vote for successor a moot point.

Those demanding the recall of Gofforth charged that she had wasted taxpayers money, failed to follow Colorado Open Meetings statutes, and had exceeded her authority as Crawford mayor. The mayor defended her actions with citations of Colorado law, which “mandates that the municipality defend and pay all attorney fees when a public employee is involved in any legal actions that happen at work.” She called the violation of Colorado Open Meetings law groundless.

Opponents to the mayor rallied around the fallout of an incident last summer when the town clerk sought a restraining order on a Crawford resident after she felt threatened during a confrontation at town hall. The mayor contacted each trustee by phone seeking consent to join in the action and involve the town’s attorney. The complaint was ultimately rejected by the court.

Visit Delta County Independent for more.