Group begins seeking signatures in Maketa recall effort
A group that wants to recall El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa hit the streets Monday seeking signatures to get the recall on the November ballot.
More than 60 volunteers are trying to gather 44,373 signatures from registered voters to get the recall on the ballot. As of Monday morning, about 1,700 had signed. Organizer Randy Stagner said he hopes to gather 2,000 signatures per day.
Volunteers will be at public places, such as supermarkets, during the coming weeks, Stagner said.
One of the volunteers with a clipboard Monday was one of Maketa’s former supervisors, retired Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Francis McCargar.
“He should resign, we shouldn’t have to be collecting signatures,” McCargar said. “But he doesn’t seem to want to do that, so here we are.”
The recall was in response to complaints that Maketa had affairs with three female subordinates, promoted them and lied about the affairs.
Maketa is term-limited. If he is not recalled in November, he will leave office in January.
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa speaks to the press Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at the Sheriff’s Office in Colorado Springs, about the details of the Black Forest Fire action report on the eve of the anniversary of the fire. Maketa wouldn’t talk about the recent allegations of sexual improprieties in his office. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
