MANSFIELD - A resident has launched a recall election drive to oust Selectmen Louis Amoruso and David McCarter and ultimately fire Town Manager John D'Agostino after two former light department officials won judgments totaling $1.45 million against D'Agostino and the department.

Ware Street resident Keith Purrier said Monday he has collected more than 150 registered voters' signatures since filing a signed, certified affidavit with the town clerk's office last Friday.

It's the second local recall effort under way. In Rehoboth, a group calling for the ouster of Selectman Christopher Morra submitted a list of signatures to the Rehoboth town clerk last Tuesday.

The Mansfield effort started the day after a jury in U.S. District Court awarded former light department Director Jack Beliveau and Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Stoyle judgments in their retaliation and whistleblowing civil suits.

Beliveau alleged that D'Agostino fired him in February 2004 in retaliation for supporting Stoyle's sexual harassment allegations against D'Agostino, who was their supervisor at the time. Stoyle resigned her post in January 2005. Purrier said he and other residents are collecting signatures in the recall effort. A Web site with information about the cause is expected to launched, as well.

"We're trying to get rid of the dirty selectmen and the town manager," Purrier said. "If we get two people with clear heads, who are not biased, we might get the town manager fired."

Town Clerk Helen Christian said that under the recall procedure in Mansfield's charter, Purrier has 20 days to return the recall petition papers signed by at least 602 registered voters, or 5 percent of the town's registered voters.

Christian will certify the signatures and then notify selectmen.

Selectmen then will give Amoruso and McCarter written notice, Christian said.

If the two selectmen do not resign within five days, the board will call an election, she said.

Christian said it was unclear when an election might be held.

However, considering nomination and voter registration deadlines, "it probably would be sometime in October," Christian said.

Amoruso said the recall effort did not surprise him, "given the political attitude at the moment."

Amoruso and McCarter said they would not take a position on D'Agostino's status before reviewing the written jury decision. Selectmen, sitting as light commissioners, planned to discuss their next move during a closed-door meeting Monday night.

"Once we've talked and seen what the decision is, I'll be in a better position," Amoruso said.

McCarter said, "I'm not surprised some people might be angry enough" to consider a recall effort.

He added, however, "I would hope before they sign anything they would consider my nine years on the board, and not judge me on one" incident.

Mansfield's last recall election was on Jan. 10, 1991, when a group tried to throw all five selectmen out of office because they refused to reappoint the town manager.

Voters kept all five selectmen in office: Amos Robinson, Frank Colella, William Sarro, Edward Tartufo and Thomas Markt, Christian said. The election attracted 3,706 voters, about one-third of those eligible.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.