One month after two members of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board were found guilty of violating open meeting laws, district residents have started a recall on Don Harr and Charles Christensen.

According to Yavapai County Elections Director Lynn Constabile, SFD residents Caroline Johnson and Karen Schmitt pulled packets from her office to start recalls on both men.

“They’re very unprofessional, they’ve done illegal things and they’ve delayed construction on our fire station,” Schmitt said.

Christensen thinks he and Harr must be doing something right, he said.

“I believe we’re doing something right and the negative forces who don’t want to see fiscal responsibility and a reduced budget at the district are against us,” he said.

In a 200-word document submitted to the county for the recall, the recall committee stated Harr ran for the board “to eliminate waste of taxpayers’ money,” but instead doubled the board’s travel expense allowances “and set the precedent of requesting reimbursement for mileage

to and from the district office, meals with friends and

associates, bar bills, X-rated movies, and all at taxpayers’ expense!”

The packets for the recall were pulled six months after the men were seated, as required by law, and one month after the Arizona attorney general’s office reported Harr and Christensen violated open meeting laws at least once and other violations were “strongly suspected.”

Along with violating state laws by discussing district issues outside of public meetings and acting against the platform they were elected on, the committee listed the two board members’ delay in deciding on a proposed fire station in the Chapel area as reason for the recall.

“Being provided a petition with over 300 signatures from the Chapel area indicating the need for a Chapel fire station, you chose to disregard their wishes, instead listening to a small vocal group of your campaign contributors,” the statement read.

On May 27, Harr and Christensen voted to delay a vote on the proposed station.

According to Constabile, each petition requires 1,799 signatures in order for a candidate to be recalled. Once the signatures are received, and reviewed one-by-one by county election staff, the board members would be contacted.

At that point, the members could resign or their names automatically go on the next ballot and at least one person would have to run against each, she said.

The new candidates would have to take out a candidate packet, form a committee and get petitions signed to get on the ballot, Constabile explained, in order to run against the recalled board members.

According to Sedona resident Barbara Burch, at least four people are interested in running against them.

“They’re all good, solid people,” she said of the possible candidates.

The petition signatures are due by Wednesday, Oct. 7, and can be turned in anytime before then, Constabile said. The soonest a recall election could occur is March.

“The [fire] district has to pay for the election. The county doesn’t pick up the cost,” she said.

Elections cost $1.75 for every registered voter in Sedona Fire District.

Currently there are 10,036 registered voters in the district in Yavapai County and 2,325 voters in Coconino County.

Harr could not be reached by press time.