Group seeks to oust Oklahoma mayor over police de-funding

A group working to oust Norman, Oklahoma Mayor Breea Clark says it has gathered more than the number of signatures needed for a recall petition, according to The Oklahoman.

The efforts commenced in June when the mayor and the city council voted "to reallocate $865,000 from the police department's proposed $31 million budget," the outlet noted.

Unite Norman, the group seeking the mayor's ouster, also sought to gather signatures to recall four members of the city council, but fell short on signatures for two of those members. The group reportedly amassed enough signatures for one city council member, and for another who resigned last month.

"A recall election looms in January if enough signatures are verified," The Oklahoman reported. 

The mayor declined to comment, choosing instead to delay until the city clerk has verified the signatures. "In the meantime, I will continue to focus on doing my job instead of worrying about losing my job," Clark reportedly said.

"What we just did was historic," Unite Norman co-founder Russell Smith told a gathering of people on Friday. "It's about the issues here in this town. It's about taking our town back. It's about not having radicals in power."