Fire 12 recall petitions begin

Next community meeting planned for May

Matt Baide | Apr 20, 20230

Community members met at the Matlock Grange last Saturday as recall petitions for Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners began collecting signatures.

According to minutes from the meeting written by Trina Young and provided to the Journal, recall backers have two weeks to gather signatures. Once the petition signatures have been validated by early May, the community will know whether the special election can proceed and be on the ballot in August.

If Fire District 12 commissioners Albert “Buck” Wilder, John Pais and Brian Jutson are successfully recalled, the Board of Mason County commissioners will appoint replacements.

“We had a fantastic turnout at our (Saturday) meeting and collected nearly 100 signatures in just a couple hours,” Kristin Masteller told the Journal. “I’m encouraged by the number of community members who also volunteered to canvass for signatures and others who have registered to vote so they can make their voices heard in this recall process.”

Matlock-area residents Masteller and Amanda Gonzales, the plaintiffs in the recall petition case in Mason County Superior Court, led the meeting.

Nick Brown, a former Fire District 12 commissioner, declared he will run for commissioner Wilder’s position this fall. The position is up for re-election this year outside of a potential special election.

Only registered voters in the Fire District 12 coverage area can sign the petitions. According to the minutes, a firefighters association was being recreated by community members and that the association would be instrumental in pursuing any future legal action once the recall is complete. The goal of the association is to rebuild the trust between the community and fire district.

The next community meeting will be announced in May. Petition backers will assess the status of the recall effort during the meeting.

“It also helps our case that the community is fueled with disgust and outrage at the new and ongoing fraud that continues to be uncovered as we dig deeper into public records,” Masteller wrote. “It solidifies that our elected commissioners have been derelict in their fiduciary responsibilities, and worse, they continue to be defiantly derelict, even in the face of hard evidence. It’s way past time for them to go.”

Fire District 12 commissioners hosted their monthly meeting Tuesday. The meeting was abruptly adjourned after commissioner Wilder asked a spectator to leave. The person refused, and that prompted the commissioners to end the meeting. They did not discuss the internal investigation before ending the meeting.