The purpose of this petition is to collect signatures for the removal of Ted Stokes from Smithfield City Council in Smithfield, Utah.

It has recently come to light that Smithfield city council member Ted Stokes attempted to use his position on the city council to avoid accountability for a traffic incident involving his son on August 3, 2025.

You can learn more about the incident and watch the body cam videos here:

 https://www.hjnews.com/news/government/spd-bodycam-footage-shows-smithfield-councilmember-s-argument-with-spd-officers/article_4e38e26d-6386-45d1-868a-76531dd0d110.html

https://www.hjnews.com/ted-stokes-incident-1/video_2bbcbc46-b95b-47ea-9a06-091b7b2ff61f.html

https://www.hjnews.com/ted-stokes-incident-2/video_e2b33b04-58af-4e66-969f-c789a1c88c0b.html

This type of elitist, privileged behavior cannot be tolerated. These council members are elected to be representatives of the citizens of our community, not as a way to increase their personal power and remove their own roadblocks or shield their family members from accountability. Regular, every day citizens do not have the luxury of having the City Manager's personal number on speed dial to call up on the weekends and complain about their police interactions. Nor do we feel entitled to threaten (directly or indirectly) the funding for the police force, or prevent them from performing their regular duties of filing a police report and speaking the the ONLY individual who was present during an accident. 

The response from Smithfield city mayor and city council, after a large public outcry, was full of warm and fuzzy forgiveness messages but that's not enough: We demand action and accountability. Ted Stokes does not represent the kind of leadership and community building that I would hope for my small city. 

**This is not an endorsement of Smithfield City PD

UPDATE: Smithfield City residents received an email 9/20/25 stating city council members cannot be removed/fired. So this petition is now calling for the RESIGNATION of Ted Stokes. 

UPDATE 2: Ted Stokes has resigned.

 Let’s move forward together to make our community better for all residents and keep our common goals in mind!