Signatures Submitted In Effort To Recall Troy Mayor

TROY (WWJ) - The Mayor of Troy could soon be facing a recall vote.

A group calling for the ouster of Mayor Janice Daniels has collected nearly 9,300 signatures -- enough to put the matter on the ballot in November.

John Kulesz, who helped spearhead the recall campaign, said that many Troy residents are upset about anti-gay remarks the mayor posted online.

"We think she's a poor representative of the city," said Kulesz.  "She made nation news last year for her homophobic slur on Facebook and it's been downhill from there."

The comment, posted when New York legalized gay marriage in June, reportedly said, "I  think I'm going to throw away my I love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married."

Kulesz believes that Mayor Daniels has made city government a hostile work place.

"This isn't just a group of malcontent; this is a group of people who are concerned about the quality of the leadership in the city," said Kulesz.

Kulesz adds that others are upset that Daniels voted against a transit center, accusing her of not listened to the Troy business community.

"The transit center issue was important.  She ignored the business community and their absolute want for the transit center," said Kulesz.  "The business community said it will bring jobs and investment to the city."

Once the signatures are validated, Mayor Daniels has 30 days to challenge them.  If she doesn't do that, the matter will go to a vote by the people in the November general election.  The issue will be put on the normal November ballot, so a special election will not be required.

Back in December, Daniels said she regretted the anti-gay language she had used, adding that she meant it as "a joke, silly, a funny thing."

She has not responded to recent calls for comment.