(WXYZ) \u2014 The effort to recall the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chair has ended, but the organizers say they are now planning to challenge Chair Dave Woodward and several other commissioners in the next election.<\/p>\n
In April, the group \u2018I Am Oakland County\u2019 launched a recall effort against Woodward (D-Royal Oak) after the commission chair and others voted to move public comment until after a controversial vote to approve the use of drones from Flock Safety.<\/p>\n
Related: Oakland County Commission Chair Dave Woodward faces recall effort as 7 reveals new trip paid by drone company<\/a><\/p>\n Recall effort launches against Oakland County Commission chair Dave Woodward<\/p>\n According to a press release sent to WXYZ, \u2018I Am Oakland County\u2019 collected more than 3,000 signatures but fell short of the 8,700 signatures needed within 60 days for the recall to move forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re obviously disappointed not to meet our goal, but we\u2019re excited about the response we\u2019ve gotten. Once people learned about what was happening at the county level with surveillance technology, Dave Woodward\u2019s ethics issues, and the Commission ignoring residents\u2019 opposition to Flock, they were eager to sign,\u201d said \u2018I Am Oakland County\u2019 leader Justine Galbraith in a statement.<\/p>\n The 7 Investigators were the first to expose Woodward\u2019s Flock-paid trip to the company\u2019s headquarters in Georgia and WXYZ revealed other ethics questions about the board chair\u2019s county expenses and his consulting work with private companies like the Sheetz gas station chain.<\/p>\n Related: Did Oakland County commission head use position to help along possible Sheetz in Waterford?<\/a><\/p>\n Did Oakland County commission head use position to help along possible Sheetz in Waterford?<\/p>\n Despite not being able to gather enough signatures in time, \u2018I Am Oakland County\u2019 announced Wednesday that they are not done challenging the leadership of the county\u2019s 19 commissioners.<\/p>\n Galbraith and \u2018I Am Oakland County\u2019 leader Mike Flores said the group plans to recruit and train candidates for the 2028 election. Flores and Galbraith say the group is looking to challenge incumbent county commissioners who \u201care not listening to their constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThrough the recall process, it became clear that this work is bigger than just replacing Dave Woodward. We must change a culture in which the commissioners make decisions without meaningful public input, dissenting commissioners are denied a voice, and accountability and transparency are optional,\u201d said Flores in a statement.<\/p>\n