Phoenix City Council members met Tuesday to schedule the recall election of District 7 Councilman Michael Nowakowski, who was not in attendance, although some remaining council members made their dissatisfaction towards his recall clear.
“I don’t know of anyone up here who supports the recall,” Councilman Sal DiCiccio said at the start of the proceedings, and stressed the meeting was “purely procedural.”
The Urban Phoenix Project PAC filed the recall petition on Dec. 5, 2018, triggering the election.
The group, which prioritizes what they call an “urbanist” agenda, claims Nowakowski has neglected his duties to his constituents, citing past transgressions including the appointment of the councilman’s former chief of staff as an interim city council member for District 8 and controversial anti-LGBT comments Nowakowski made in 2016.
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Nowakowski’s campaign spokeswoman Patty Johnson said she did not know why the councilman was not at the meeting.
Interim Mayor Thelda Williams also expressed her dissatisfaction with the recall as the Council voted unanimously to schedule it. Vice Mayor Jim Waring echoed their sentiments before calling the vote on the recall.
“I’m not happy to be making this motion, I just want to say that,” said Waring.
Councilmembers are required to schedule a date for a recall election within 15 days after a petition has been submitted and verified. The recall election could be held as soon as May 21 of this year, according to Fox 10.
In response, Nowakowski’s sister, Rosa Maria Morales, filed a lawsuit late last week challenging the recall, claiming the Urban Phoenix Project PAC mishandled the petitions. Nowakowski’s campaign said they are not a part of the lawsuit.
Kory Langhofer is is the lawyer handling the lawsuit. He previously worked as an attorney for former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and on the Trump transition team in 2016.
“It’s not surprising that Councilman Nowakowski is going to do everything he can to avoid having to go in front of the people of District 7, even if that involves lawsuits,” said Sean Sweat, founder of the Urban Phoenix Project PAC. “The people of District 7 are no longer with him, and I think he knows that.”
Nowakowski issued a statement regarding the recall on Jan. 16. “It’s unfortunate that a radical PAC is being allowed to proceed with their agenda, unnecessarily costing tax payers millions,” he wrote. “I’m remaining focused on serving District District 7 and working to defeat the effort of this small special interest group.”
Nowakowski was first elected as a council member in 2008 and in the years prior served the City of Phoenix in various capacities.
Contact the reporter at Madeline.Ackley@asu.edu.
Editor’s Note: On Jan. 16 this story was updated to include a statement from Councilman Michael Nowakowski.
Madeline is the community editor for Downtown Devil and is a senior studying at the Walter Cronkite School. She is a local freelance journalist who primarily covers politics, policing, immigration and business. In 2019, she won first place in her category in the national SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards for her reporting on deported veterans in Tijuana, Mexico with Cronkite News.
