Glendale recall effort over Coyotes vote dropped

Efforts to recall three Glendale council members have ended.

Glendale First!, a sponsoring organization for the recall of council members Ian Hugh, Lauren Tolmachoff and Bart Turner, announced Friday it was ending its sponsorship of the recall efforts.

“We are satisfied the city has endorsed a new short-term relationship with the Arizona Coyotes that is currently in the best interest of all involved,” Glendale First! said in a release. “We’re hoping sincere efforts result in a long-term agreement being reached between the city and the Arizona Coyotes in the near future.”

Council members Hugh, Tolmachoff and Turner were targeted for recall after they voted in June to terminate the city’s arena management agreement with the Coyotes.

Mayor Jerry Weiers and Councilman Jamie Aldama also voted to end the deal but they were not targeted for recall.

Glendale First!, headed by George Fallar and Bea Wyatt of Cave Creek, signed on to support the three recall committees.

Glendale businessman Larry Feiner said “the recall efforts are finished and the committees will disband as soon as a few ‘I's’ are dotted and ‘T's’ are crossed.”

Darcie McCraken, assistant city clerk, said none of the three groups has officially terminated the recall efforts.

The city is negotiating in good faith with the Coyotes and “(we) hope it continues,” Feiner said.

Turner said he was never worried voters would throw him out of office for keeping a campaign pledge to address problems with the city’s Coyotes agreement.

“The recall effort was 99 percent driven by upset non-Glendale Coyotes fans,” he said.

A separate recall effort of Councilman Gary Sherwood is still on track. Sherwood faces a Nov. 3 election. His opponent is Ray Malnar, who filed his nominating petitions Thursday.