August 18, 2006
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
By Anne Jungen
.
NORWALK – The board chairman and two supervisors for the town of Ridgeville all barely survived a recall vote Tuesday sparked by the controversy over proposed wind farms in Monroe County.
A total of 245 voters showed up at the Ridgeville Town Hall in Norwalk for the recall election, said Mary Lou Sletten, town clerk.
In the end, chairman Virgil Sletten edged out challenger Mike Luethe, 121 to 119, while Charlie Neumann and Chuck Luxton drew 126 and 119 votes, respectively, to retain their board seats over Stephen Krueger with 117 votes and Keith Giraud with 114.
The recall effort began in May after residents, upset over what they said was the board’s failure to represent them on the wind farm proposal, selected Luethe, Krueger and Giraud as their candidates.
The group opposes a plan that would place about 50 commercial wind turbines, each as tall as a 35-story building, along the ridges.
The board supported the project and the ordinance governing it.
Bob Kliebenstein, a reporter for the Tomah Journal/Monitor-Herald, contributed to this story.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/08/18/recall-election-fails-to-unseat-incumbents/