‘They need to go;’ Brookville residents voice concerns over city leaders

Some people in Brookville want a vote to force their mayor and vice mayor out of office.

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 , a group of concerned citizens said they are working to get a recall special election.

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Jamie Iaquinta moved to Brookville in 2016. She told News Center 7 that she loves the community, but is concerned about the volume of new developments.

“What they are doing has really, it’s degrading it, and it’s changing it in ways that nobody really wanted,” Iaquinta said.

She is part of a group worried about projects like the DMAX plant expansion and whether the city’s infrastructure can handle the changes.

They’re also upset that a marijuana growing operation is coming to a formerly vacant building.

Brookville City Council approved the development after the city’s planning board voted no.

They feel the city council is not listening to the community’s concerns, so they finalized a petition to recall the mayor and vice mayor.

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“Being the leaders and they’re not leading the city in a positive direction, they need to go,” Brookville resident Mike Hughes said.

Both Mayor Chuck Letner and Vice Mayor James Zimmerlin told News Center 7 that they try to do what’s in the city’s best interest.

The pair said they have been following a land use plan that the city developed in 2003.

“It’s still very valid for what we do and the development that’s going on in the city now, meets that plan,” Letner said.

Neither Letner nor Zimmerlin are worried about the possibility of facing a recall special election.

“I myself, feel that we’re doing a great job and, it’s totally up to them and it’s their right to have a recall, but, I don’t see the need,” Letner said.

“It’s part of the process. For folks to do that is totally fine. We have term limits here in the city of Brookville. I’m on the second half of my term. I have a year left,” Zimmerlin said.

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The group said they need a little more than 500 signatures from voters in Brookville.

Then they will turn the petition in to the city and the Montgomery County Board of Election will help verify the signatures.

If the recall petition is approved, the mayor and vice mayor would have five days to resign or decide to face a recall special election.

The special election would have to happen within about two and a half months.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story and will provide updates as they come.