By Katie Knapp Schubert
Omaha, NE – A group seeking to force a recall election of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle is officially starting its signature-gathering efforts.
The Mayor Suttle Recall Committee picked up 6,000 petitions Thursday morning at the Douglas County Election Commission. Committee spokesman Jeremy Aspen says collecting 26,643 signatures in the next 30 days will be a daunting task. But he believes the committee has the volunteers, momentum, and money to make it happen.
Aspen says a variety of signature-gathering events are planned. "There are some organized things that we've set up like there's a party on Saturday, there are restaurants that are letting volunteers sit in and get signatures. There are as many different ways of doing it as there are volunteers, and we welcome everybody who is kind enough to volunteer their time and their efforts."
Mayor Jim Suttle issued a statement Thursday urging Omahans who oppose the recall efforts to support a group called Forward Omaha. That's one of two anti-recall groups. Another is called the Committee to Keep Omaha Moving Forward. It has the backing of Omaha philanthropist Richard Holland.