LOUISVILLE, Colo. — A petition has been filed with the city clerk to recall Louisville Councilwoman Maxine Most, who some Marshall Fire victims are accusing of lacking empathy for their plight.
The petitioners filed the paperwork this week. The clerk will now review the language of the petition and, if approved, the process of gathering signatures can begin.
It’s an all-out construction blitz in many areas of the Marshall Fire burn zone and some of the residents here believe part of this rebirth should include the recall effort.
“She (Maxine Most), in general, seems to be very insensitive to the costs,” said one Louisville resident who asked not to be identified by name.
“We were out of our home for three months due to ash and smoke damage, and I think until you’ve walked in that person’s shoes, you’ve just got to show compassion and give them the benefit of the doubt,” said Louisville resident Shelly Dierking.
Councilwoman Most is accused of being insensitive and lacking empathy in the days and weeks following the fire, including a statement she made about survivors, inferring that if they couldn’t afford a home as big as the one they lost, perhaps they should build a smaller one.
She was also caught mocking the "fragility" of fire survivors. That and other issues promoted a protest outside Louisville City Hall last summer.
“We have some council with a bit of an empathy gap,” said one protest organizer.
However, some voters are still on the fence.
“I don’t know that I’d vote for (a recall),” said another Louisville resident.
“Our city council has fallen deeply into 'wokeness,' and I think they’re doing foolish things,” said a Louisville resident. “I would vote for it.”
“I do think that’s really insensitive,” Dierking said. “Building costs right now are through the roof due to inflation and other things and so, everybody deserves to be made whole again and have back what they had prior to the fire.”
Councilwoman Most told Denver7 that she did not know anything about the petition.
The City of Louisville declined to comment but did confirm the petition language had been filed and would now go through the approval process per state statute.
Once signatures are approved, the clerk’s office has five days to determine if the submitted signatures are sufficient. Councilwoman Most then has 15 days to protest the petition.
If the petition is found sufficient, city council will pick a date for the recall election, which will happen within 90 days of the petition being submitted to the city clerk's office.
