City Clerk Eileen Bernal said her office certified 170 signatures on the recall request, exceeding the 100 signatures required under the city charter. Once organizers receive the formal petition, they will have 30 days to collect signatures from more than 7,000 registered Lawrence voters.

The recall effort follows criminal cases against DePeña. He was arrested in August on federal charges related to alleged money laundering and wiretapping. In September, Massachusetts brought separate wiretapping and witness-intimidation charges. DePeña has also faced federal allegations that he fraudulently obtained a pandemic-era loan and used the money for campaign expenses and personal debts. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Sarah Perez, an organizer of the recall effort, said residents have lost confidence in DePeña as he faces cases at both the federal and state levels while overseeing a city budget of about $400 million a year. She said the campaign hopes to gather roughly 10,000 signatures within the 30-day window.

The City Council added to the pressure Tuesday, voting no confidence in DePeña’s ability to lead. Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez said the integrity of city government must be protected and argued that the cases could interfere with the mayor’s responsibilities to residents.

DePeña declined to comment on the council vote or the recall campaign. In a September Facebook post, he said residents’ concerns were understandable and urged the community to let the judicial process proceed, adding that allegations are not convictions. He has previously said he intends to remain in office.

If organizers submit enough valid signatures, DePeña would have five days to resign, Bernal said. If he does not, the city would hold a special election. Voters would decide whether to recall him and, if they vote to remove him, choose among candidates seeking to replace him.

Perez said the organizers are confident they can reach the threshold, citing their ties to Lawrence neighborhoods and community groups.