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IRON MOUNTAIN -- A recall directed at Dickinson County Board Chairman Dan Harrington has fallen eight signatures short of the number needed to force a Nov. 3 election, according to County Clerk-Register of Deeds Carol Bronzyk.
A total of 599 signatures from Harrington's district were needed and only 591 were found to be valid, so no recall will be on the November ballot, the clerk's review found. Problems with signatures included duplicates, failure to match voter registration and signatures from outside the district, Bronzyk said.
The recall against Harrington was spurred by his vote in favor of ending Dickinson County funding for the Michigan State University Extension office.
Recall petitions were submitted July 30, with the clerk's office determination due within 15 days. The Michigan Bureau of Elections was consulted to help resolve issues in dispute, Bronzyk noted at Monday's county board meeting.
Harrington's District 3 includes Iron Mountain Ward 1 and Breitung Township Precinct 3, or north areas of the city and west areas of the township. The number of signatures needed to trigger a recall election is 25% of the votes cast in the respective commissioner's district for all candidates for the office of governor in the 2022 election.
Harrington was among four Republican board members targeted for recall in petitions that were approved for circulation in February. No completed petitions were filed against the other three -- Peter Swanson, Kevin Sullivan and Victoria Jakel.
On Monday, during commissioner's personal privilege, Sullivan thanked citizens for "vindicating us from the recall."
The petition approved for circulation against Sullivan had cited his vote "in favor of a motion to reduce the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners' regular schedule from two meetings per month to one, combining the regular and finance meetings, thereby reducing opportunities for public comment and citizen participation in county board proceedings."
Sullivan pointed out that citizen comments during the current board's tenure have increased compared with previous years.
Swanson and Jakel, like Harrington, were targeted over the MSU Extension issue. The petition against Harrington stated his January 2025 vote in favor of eliminating Dickinson County funding for the Michigan State University Extension office resulted "in the loss of local 4-H, agricultural education and community extension services."
Harrington has maintained 4-H programming continues, although neighboring counties have helped make it possible. The 4-H Proud Equestrian Program taking place this week at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds is under the supervision of Menominee County 4-H.
Commissioner Joe Stevens, a Republican who was not targeted for recall, is the only returning member from a county board that in December 2024 approved an $81,000 agreement for MSU Extension services in Dickinson County. In January 2025, the funding was eliminated by the new board in a 3-1 vote with Stevens objecting and Sullivan abstaining.
In August 2025, a proposed $40,000 compromise was rejected by the board in a 4-1 vote over the protests of Stevens and dozens of Extension supporters.
In February 2025, Jason Gibbs of Iron Mountain filed suit in circuit court against the county board, claiming its decision to deny funds allocated to MSU Extension violated Michigan law because no budget amendment was proposed or passed. Substitute Judge Brittany Bulleit granted the county's motion to dismiss the suit in February of this year.
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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.