By AARON MUELLER

Niles Daily Star

A group of Niles Township citizens have begun the process to recall township board member Michael Bailey, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure in April.

The group announced its intention to pursue a recall at the last township board meeting three weeks ago and now is officially beginning the process.

Ollen Baldwin, a township resident and chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Niles Township for a Better Government, said the group of about eight is planning to submit a reason for recall to the county by the beginning of next week.

Upon approval, which usually takes 10 to 20 days, they must collect the necessary number of petitions within 90 days.

The number of petitions required must amount to 25 percent of the number of persons in the township who voted in the last election for governor. Niles Township Clerk Marge Durm-Hiatt said that would mean about 1,030 signatures would be required.

The final step is for the township to take a vote on the recall.

“It’s about time (Bailey) does the right thing and resigns,” Baldwin said. “It costs the township $3,000 for an election recall.”

Baldwin and several other citizens have repeatedly called for Bailey to resign during township board meetings since Bailey’s sentencing in April.

Bailey was not in attendance of Monday evening’s meeting but has made it clear in the past he has no intentions of giving up his post.

“It’s for the same reason I never stopped playing baseball after a losing season,” he said in an interview with the Star in July. “I’m not a quitter. I was voted onto this board to do a job and I will do my job.”