BEATRICE – A Beatrice Mayoral candidate is calling for the recall of a Gage County Board member, claiming he has violated his constitutional oath by taking positions she says don’t represent those of his constituents.


Ashley Mason, a member of a self-proclaimed Patriots organization, used the board’s public forum section Wednesday to level criticism at Don Schuller of rural Wymore, who represents District 6 on the county board.


"I want this board to know that Don has stated he thinks its not appropriate for someone outside his district to file, but he feels confident in recruiting people to actively run against his fellow supervisors. What Don does on this board affects the entire county, not just his district. We can't have narrow-mindedness on this board. That is why the law is written the way it is....to protect the people from those who seek too much power. When there is an imbalance between what people want and what the elected people are doing, it is the people's responsibility to step up, and act. There is never a need to wait out an election cycle to replace those who are not truly serving their constituents."


Schuller was not allowed to respond directly because the charges were leveled during the public forum section of the board’s meeting…where the practice is not to discuss public issues brought up because all sides may not be represented. He did respond outside of the meeting.


"I've gotten a lot of support from people within my district and outside my district...and even from people that have expressed a difference of opinion of me, and they're not in my district...that have called me and told me they felt this was all uncalled for, a threat to democracy, and just a senseless, recall effort....because I do have the right to vote the way I best see fit, to represent my constituents."


A petition campaign recently was started by a person who lives outside Schuller’s district aimed at recalling the board member, who is the lone Democrat on an all-Republican county board.


Mason told the board that Schuller did not win a landslide victory. Defeating an incumbent during the Primary, Schuller went on to defeat a write-in candidate  in the General Electcion, by a vote of 891-to-392….a margin of 69% to 31%.


Mason alleged that Schuller was using fear and intimidation while the recall effort is going on.  "As volunteers went door-to-door to collect signatures, the volunteers were told...and I quote, by some...if I sign this petition, I fear the retribution I will receive from Don Schuller. No citizen of Gage County should ever fear their elected and the citizens are in fear. Don himself went door-to-door telling people it was wrong for them to support this recall....it was wrong for someone outside his district to call him out, on his failings. He believes it's too easy for people to file for a recall against the elected."


Schuller brushed aside the claim of fear and intimidation.  "I never have, my entire life, had an intimidating personality...and people that know me, would know that that's a false claim. I couldn't help but smile, when I heard that, because it's humorous, in my opinion."


The recall effort requires at least 453 valid signatures from District 6 to trigger a recall election.


Mason is running for Beatrice Mayor against City Council members Bob Morgan and Gary Barnard, and challenger Jake Speakman.