Campbell, Ruedeman Recall Election Underway

A final count of mail-in ballots for the recall of Prowers Medical Center board members, Marge Cambell and Candy Ruedeman will be held tallied starting at 7pm this evening, February 7.  The vote will determine if either one, both, or neither woman will be recalled from the PMC board of directors, or if the board will have one or two new members out of the three named on the recall ballot, or none.  The recall will be enacted through a simple majority vote from the qualified Prowers County Hospital District electorate. 

The recall process has taken more than half a year from when it was first initiated by a committee of persons, mostly employees of Prowers Medical Center, claiming in general, of interference in their hospital duties by Campbell and Ruedeman, both registered nurses with a long medical history at the hospital and in the Lamar and Prowers County community.  Both were elected to the board in part, on the strength of the medical expertise they could bring to those positions. 

What follows is an overview of the timeline of events from the issuance of the first recall petition to present time:

August 2011:
A recall petition for Campbell and Ruedeman is submitted to Prowers County District Court by Barbara Kuenzel and Joan Hanff.  Audrey Kane, PMC interim Chief Financial Officer is named as the hospital’s Designated Election Official.  Once Kane determines the petition is in accordance with state statutes, the petition initiators will have 60 days to collect 300 signatures each for Campbell and Reudeman. 

Kane states the petition language is not acceptable and needs revisions to comply:  three signatures are needed for the recall initiators, a notice is needed stating that only registered voters may participate in the election and that no one will be financially compensated for signing the petition. 

September 2011:
Connie Hill, a PMC employee, is named as the third petition initiator and the revised petition language meets the remainder of the state requirements.  Sixty days are now allotted for the signature gathering process at which time the signers must be verified as eligible voters by Kane. 

November 2011:
Kane approves the signatures collected; 327 for Candy Ruedeman and 323 for Campbell.  Both board members, represented by their attorney, issue a formal protest on the validity of the signatures and the petition gathering process.  A hearing is scheduled in Prowers County District Court before Hearing Officer, Judge Mark MacDonnell, during which witnesses testify on the accuracy of some of the signatures and the manner in which several of the petitions were handled by the recall committee.  MacDonnell, after review, finds that the burden has not been met by Campbell and Ruedeman and the petition signatures are valid. 

December 2011:
A special PMC board meeting is held regarding the election process.  A mail-in ballot will be issued for a February 7 tally.  PMC Foundation Director, Michael Bryant, is named to work with Kane, who is on maternity leave, as a second Designated Election Official. 

January 2012:
Three board of director replacement candidates are named for the recall election: Sandra Summers, Karl C. Nieschburg and Kathleen Henderson.    Of the three replacement candidates, the ones with the most votes would replace Campbell or Ruedeman if there are enough votes to mandate the recall of either one or both.  If there is no majority vote to recall, both women will remain on the board of directors for Prowers Medical Center.

By Russ Baldwin

Past Articles  – Oldest to Newest

PMC Recall Election Initiated for Ruedeman, Campbell
Candy Ruedeman Responds to Recall Declaration
Recall Petition Rejected, Needs Revising
Corrected Recall Petition is Approved
Marge Campbell Response to Recall Petition
PMC Board Chair, Submits Response to Campbell Allegations
New Developments in PMC Recall Election
More Arguments Heard on PMC Recall Petition
Equipment Upgrades Continue at PMC, Additional Recall Forum Proposed
Recall Petition Protest Set for Courthouse Hearing
Ruling on Recall Petition Protest Expected Friday
Ruling States Recall Petition-Election Can Proceed
PMC Recall Election Set for February 7, 2012
Three Potential PMC Board of Director Candidates Named for Recall Election
PMC Special Board Meeting/Forum January 17 on Recall Election
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor – Recall Election