A citywide referendum on whether Westbrook should have a process for recalling elected officials will not take place this November.

The Westbrook City Council voted unanimously Monday to table any action on a recall amendment until January 2015, citing the need for more time to decide on the details of such a change to the city charter.

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole began looking at the process after Westbrook resident and radio talk show host, Ray Richardson, called on the council to discuss implementing a recall provision in April.

Richardson had publicly called for School Committee member Suzanne Joyce to resign following controversy in the school department last year. Coming to the council, Richardson said a recall provision would be an important tool for Westbrook residents.

Any such ordinance requires an amendment to the Westbrook city charter, a change that also requires a citywide referendum. The council was scheduled to hold a second reading on the provision next week, in order for the item to be placed on absentee ballots one month prior to the election. With the council’s decision Monday, no such referendum will appear on the ballot on Nov. 4.

“I’m extremely disappointed that the council kicked this can down the road,” Richardson said Tuesday. “They had plenty of time.”

Richardson added that he agreed with city officials that discussion on the provision should wait until the “political winds cooled down,” but that the council ended up “dragging their heels.”

“By not showing appropriate leadership, this didn’t get to the council so that a rational discussion could occur,” he said. “This process should have started in July, and they waited.”

Councilors discussed specific numbers included in the amendment language, including the number of petitioners and percentage of Westbrook voters required to sign any recall petition. Also discussed was adding a separate amendment for an elected official code of conduct.

“Unfortunately, we’re here at the midnight hour to consider these items in time to be on this coming November election,” Councilor Michael Foley said at the meeting.

“I honestly feel we have a lot of work to do on this,” said Councilor Victor Chau Monday. “We’re here rushing to get this ordinance finalized, and it feels like we’re just throwing words on the board and seeing what sticks. This is really important, and we really need time to think about this.”

An expanded story will appear in the Thursday, Sept. 11, issue of the American Journal.