By John McLaughlin
Hutchinson Tribune Staff
HUTCHINSON—A three-person committee working to oust Hutchinson City Council Member Stacy Goss has taken a second statutory step in the process, nearly a week after filing its initial application for the proposed recall.
Hutchinson residents Allison Reed, Malynda Jarrett and Tad Ramage filed a draft petition Monday with Reno County to recall Goss. The document will now be reviewed by the district attorney. The committee filed its initial application for the recall petition on Sept. 15.
Reed has been named as chair of the committee, with the remaining two named as members. All three live in the city’s northwest district, which Goss represents on the council.
In both documents, the committee alleges that Goss engaged in misconduct and failed to “perform required public duties,” in part by refusing to recuse herself from an Aug. 27 closed executive session of the city council.
On that day, just before the council entered the closed session to discuss the state’s investigation of the Hutchinson Recreation Commission and its affiliated nonprofits, then-City Attorney Cody Smith asked that Goss recuse herself. Smith said Goss had previously recused herself in discussing the investigation.
He also cited a conflict of interest per her husband, Trace Hughes, serving on the Hutch Rec Foundation, which is included in the investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, in addition to the Dillon Nature Center Foundation.
Goss refused to recuse herself, however, citing personal legal advice that she said cleared her to attend. Smith ultimately asked the council to recall the session, which occurred with a unanimous vote. The closed-door meeting did not occur.
In addition to “depriving the government body of necessary legal counsel regarding city oversight,” the draft petition says, Goss’ conduct proved a “principal contributor” to a hostile working environment cited by former City Manager Enrico Villegas and Smith in a joint statement outlining their Sept. 9 resignations from the city. Neither listed specifics.
“This behavior directly precipitated the unexpected loss of key administrative leadership, severely disrupting city government operations and failing the duty to maintain effective governance,” the draft petition says.
Goss told The Tribune on Sept. 16 that she believes voters in her district still trust her.
“The voters of the northwest district overwhelmingly trusted me to work hard for them before, and I’m confident they’ll continue to support and trust me in the future,” she said.
As previously reported by The Tribune, the draft petition will now be reviewed by Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton to determine its legal sufficiency. Stanton has five business days to complete his review.
If the draft petition is found sufficient, the three-person committee would be allowed 90 days to collect valid signatures.
Reno County Clerk and Election Officer Jenna Fager said the petition would need signatures from registered voters in the district equal to at least 40% of total votes cast only in the November 2025 race for the council’s northwest district seat.
Goss won that race 1,510 to 837 over contender Devon Reese.
Fager said 2,366 total votes, including 19 write-ins, were cast in the city’s northwest district race, meaning at least 946 registered voters from the district would be required for a successful petition.
If enough signatures are collected, the county election office would then have 30 days to verify them. If the petition proved successful, Fager said, a public vote on the proposed recall could likely happen in February or March, though several unknowns remain.