Camden County elections board approves issuance of recall petition applications for three Woodbine officials

The Camden County Board of Elections & Registration on May 22 approved issuing recall petition applications for three Woodbine officials after days of public comment and legal review.

During the special called meeting, residents from Woodbine urged the board to allow circulation of recall petitions, citing what they described as a lack of transparency, missing city audits dating to 2020, and contracts approved without proper public process. John Ralph Burns Jr., a Woodbine resident who said he represented concerned citizens, told the board, “The citizens of Woodbine elected these officials with the expectation that they would act in the best interest of the entire community” and urged approval of a recall application.

The board considered legal constraints before voting. Election Specialist Dennis Irvin cited state law, reading in part, “OCGA 21-4-5(A): No application for recall petition may be filed during the first 180 days or during the last 180 days of the term of office of any public official subject to recall,” and identified two council members whose terms began Jan. 1, 2026 and who had not yet reached the 180-day threshold.

With one board member recused from the item, Vice-Chair Ray Hollen moved and Vernon Higgins seconded motions to approve issuance of petition applications for Councilor Rick Baird, Councilor Phyllis Drummond and Mayor Kizzi Knight; each motion carried 3–0 while Robin Mainor-Knight was excused from the room. Vice-Chair Hollen also moved that the elections office be authorized to issue the applications on the board’s behalf when staff are approached, a measure the board approved.

Several public commenters said they planned to seek recall of all five council members; C.C. Higginbotham Jr., who identified himself as a Woodbine council member, urged the elections board to consult legal counsel, calling some allegations “based on imagination and hearsay.” The board’s staff review of OCGA 21-4-5 informed which individual recall efforts could proceed immediately and which could not because of the 180-day rule.

The board’s approvals authorize petition circulation for the three named officials; the board did not vote on or decide the underlying merits of the recall claims. The issuance of an application permits petition circulation under state law so that eligible electors may sign and pursue a recall according to statutory requirements. The board noted that additional legal and procedural steps remain for any recall to proceed.

Next procedural steps identified at the meeting included allowing staff to issue the applications on behalf of the board and noting the statutory timeline constraints for other council members identified in the staff review. The board recessed at times during the discussion for transitions and reconvened to complete the agenda.