CORUNNA, Mich. (Great Lakes News) – Three elected officials in Shiawassee County who voted to award themselves bonuses with federal COVID-19 money are facing a recall campaign.

Recall supporters would need 1,100 signatures for each of the targeted county commissioners. That includes former board chairman Jeremy Root, and commissioners Cindy Garber and John Plowman.

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If the petition survives an appeal after 10 days, recall supporters say they plan to start collecting signatures to force an election in 2022.

In July, the board voted to give themselves significant bonuses with federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Fellow Commissioner Marlene Webster blew the whistle, saying she did not realize the $557,000 in federal virus money the board approved for county workers also included elected officials.

Webster said when she saw the COVID-19 relief money deposited into her bank account, she returned it to the county in the form of a cashier’s check and earmarked it for back taxes for a resident in need.

A judge ordered the county to return payments of more than $5,000, citing likely violations of an open meetings law.