Park Ridge school board member Robert Fisher is appealing a judge’s ruling from last week that allowed a recall effort against him to go forward despite the lack of notarized petition signatures.
An effort to recall the 20-year-old Fisher garnered 2,141 signatures, clearing the 1,864 needed to put the measure on the ballot, but the signatures were never notarized. Bergen County Clerk John Hogan tossed out the recall effort, saying the lack of a notary meant the signatures were invalid. Last week, Superior Court Judge Peter Geiger overruled Hogan’s decision, saying petitions are not required to be notarized.
Appellate Judge Stanley Bergman approved Fisher’s request for emergent appeal on Tuesday morning. Fisher has until 10 a.m. tomorrow to file a motion; his opponents have until Wednesday at 10 a.m. to file their response.
Fisher, who attends Vanderbilt University, has faced allegations that he’s missed 30% of meetings this year, isn’t available to attend community events, and doesn’t serve on any school board committee. Fisher has said he’s spent thousands of dollars commuting back to New Jersey due to his public duties.
His opponents accuse him of residency issues as well: His family moved out of Park Ridge after his high school graduation, and he rents a basement apartment in town for $10 per month.
Fisher has said the recall effort “reeked of lies and age discrimination.”
The appellate judge granted a temporary stay of Geiger’s order from last week.
With mail-in ballots set to go out later this week, an extended appeal could delay the printing or distribution of ballots.
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