Saugus group courts recall

SAUGUS – A Superior Court judge could order the Board of Selectmen as early as Dec. 30 to schedule an election recalling four of its five members, said an attorney for the group pushing the recall.Matthew Thomson of Boston-based Lichten-Liss-Riordan said the Save Saugus Political Action Committee?s request will be heard on that day by a Lawrence Superior Court judge.?We expect the judge to act immediately at the hearing,” Thomson said.A court complaint filed by the group Monday asks the court to “…immediately order a recall election?”?The Board?s failure to perform its non-discretionary, public duty under the Town Charter caused injury to the public as a whole, including all registered voters and taxpayers of the Town of Saugus?” the complaint states.Ellen Faiella, chair of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, declined to comment Monday on the complaint, saying, “It?s a court case, I need to review it.”But the suit did not surprise Town Meeting member Al DiNardo.?Getting anything out of this board is like pulling teeth. It?s pretty elementary here what needs to be done: They need to call an election,” DiNardo said. Formed in the wake of the board?s Sept. 15 decision to suspend former Town Manager Scott Crabtree, Save Saugus gathered and submitted to Town Clerk Ellen Schena signatures from 5,400 registered voters – nearly 1,000 more than the 4,443 required (25 percent of the town?s registered voters) – calling for a special election to recall board members Faiella, Maureen Dever, Stephen Castinetti and Paul Allan.Selectman Debra Panetta voted against Crabtree?s dismissal and is not a recall target.Save Saugus? complaint states the selectmen ignored Town Charter language setting out time frames for scheduling a recall.?Instead, on Dec. 9, 2014, the Board voted 4-1 to refuse to order the recall election, and to instead ?table? the issue,” the complaint states.