A citizens’ group upset over development plans has launched a petition drive to recall Bedford Mayor Jim Griffin.
The mayor supports a developer's plan to build a 240-unit apartment complex on vacant land near Bedford City Hall.
But some neighbors oppose the apartments and fault the mayor’s leadership.
"Our issue is land use,” said recall organizer Tom Burnett. “We have enough people. Nearly half live in apartments. We want to see the land use for something other than apartments. We don't need more people."
Griffin said he is disappointed by the recall effort and noted he just won re-election in May after running unopposed.
He has been mayor for six years and previously served on the city council for eight years.
"I feel like I've been very productive as mayor of the city of Bedford,” he said. “We've accomplished a lot."
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Bedford, a city of 10-square miles, has a population of 49,000.
The mayor said the city must be strategic because it is landlocked and has very little land available for new development.
Organizers of the recall effort need to obtain 1,620 signatures of registered voters in the next 30 days to get the issue on the May 2019 ballot.
