Despite an avalanche of financial problems at Omaha City Hall, State Senator Brad Ashford of Omaha says he’s against recalling Mayor Jim Suttle.  Instead, Ashford is pushing for a merger of City-County government, with a countywide Mayor, to fix a mess of higher taxes, increasing pension costs, and cuts in services. In an interview with Nebraska Watchdog, Ashford says a recall would hurt Omaha. [...]

With two recalls of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle now moving forward (click here for earlier Nebraska Watchdog reports) along with attempts to recall City Council members Pete Festersen and Jean Stothert voters will have to wonder which piece of Omaha political history will repeat itself. Before this month’s failed attempt to recall Suttle, Anthony FastHorse, the [...]

A move to recall Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle is off and running. As Nebraska Watchdog has been reporting exclusively all week this newest  effort  involves Jim Cleary, a political consultant who led the 1987 successful recall of former Mayor Mike Boyle. A group of Omahans announced their recall plans Thursday morning. Nebraska Watchdog’s Joe Jordan raised several questions [...]

Update: Douglas County Election Commissioner Dave Phipps tells Nebraska Watchdog the recall attempt against City Councilman Pete Festersen, which was initially found to be invalid, is back on. There’s a second group out to recall Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle (click here for other Suttle story) and this group is also targeting two members of the [...]

It’s official…sort of. As Nebraska Watchdog has been reporting exclusively all week there’s a new effort underway to recall Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and it involves Jim Cleary, a political consultant who led the 1987 successful recall of former Mayor Mike Boyle. During a Thursday morning news conference several Omahans announced the formation of the Mayor Suttle [...]

Update: A news conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday to “announce the formation of a committee to explore the possibility of a petition campaign to recall Mayor Jim Suttle.”   According to the Mayor’s spokeswoman Catherine Mello, “Mayor Suttle remains focused on doing his job as mayor and will not be distracted by political theater.” [...]

Update: A news conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday to “announce the formation of a committee to explore the possibility of a petition campaign to recall Mayor Jim Suttle.”  According to the Mayor’s spokeswoman Catherine Mello, “Mayor Suttle remains focused on doing his job as mayor and will not be distracted by political theater.” [...]

The four members of the Omaha City Council who voted for an expensive new contract with the Omaha Police Union are now wrangling over which taxes will pay for it. Mayor Jim Suttle’s proposed 2011 budget calls for a 9 percent property tax hike, a new 4 percent restaurant tax, and a $23 increase in the $35 a [...]

Wednesday should find some last minute moves on Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle’s tax heavy 2011 budget. The seven member City Council is expected to submit amendments to the Mayor’s plan, which now includes over $21 million for next year’s installment of a new contract with the Omaha Police Union. After months of sometimes angry public debate [...]

 It appears to be one major union contract with the City of Omaha down and one to go. As expected the Omaha City Council on Tuesday, by a vote of 4-3, approved Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle’s tentative and controversial contract with the Omaha Police Union. The union’s rank and file must still approve the deal. [...]