Effort to Recall Fall River Mayor Moves Forward

FALL RIVER — It appears Fall River will go forward with a recall of embattled Mayor Jasiel Correia II after the effort garnered over 2,000 more signatures than necessary.

According to the Herald News, the Board of Elections in Fall River has certified the signatures of 4,533 registered voters on Wednesday. Only 2,510 certified signatures--representing five percent of the city's total registered voters--were needed for the recall effort to move forward.

Board of Elections Chairwoman Kelly Sousa-Young will now notify the City Council of the certified signatures, likely by 5 p.m. tomorrow, the agenda for items to appear on the agenda for next Tuesday's Council meeting. The City Council is then charged with notifying Correia that he has five days to step down. If he refuses to do so, the Council must set a recall election on a Tuesday at least 65 days from the date of the official certification of the signatures.

Correia, the 27-year-old second-term mayor who is under federal indictment on multiple fraud charges related to his app company SnoOwl, has said repeatedly that he has no intentions to step down, despite his legal woes. He is due back in court on February 13.

The recall election would ask the voters whether they want to recall the mayor, and then to vote for who they want to see as mayor. Correia has already said that if the recall election takes place, he will run for his seat.