Update: Owosso Township Recall Effort

OWOSSO TOWNSHIP — Husband and wife public servants Richard and Judy Gute survived a Feb. 28 recall effort in Owosso Township. The supervisor and clerk of the township board were under fire for competitively contracting with a private firm to provide emergency ambulance services. The couple overcame what appeared to be a highly organized and concerted effort to remove them.

The Flint Journal reported on Feb. 19 that the Gutes were standing their ground and were prepared to overcome the opposition "with truth and facts." The Journal article also noted that three other township trustees voted to contract with Mobile Medical Response of Saginaw, but were not targets of the recall.

Michigan Privatization Report first covered the recall effort in January 2006.