Claire Syrett recall, Eugene, Oregon (2022)

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Claire Syrett recall
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Officeholders
Claire Syrett
Recall status
Recall approved
Recall election date
September 6, 2022
Signature requirement
1,365 signatures
See also
Recall overview
Political recall efforts, 2022
Recalls in Oregon
Oregon recall laws
City council recalls
Recall reports

Voters chose to recall Ward 7 City Councilmember Claire Syrett in an election on September 6, 2022, in Eugene, Oregon.[1][2][3]

Recall vote

Claire Syrett recall, 2022

Claire Syrett lost the Eugene City Council District 7 recall election on September 6, 2022.

Recall
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
59.3
 
2,329
No
 
40.7
 
1,599
Total Votes
3,928


Recall supporters

Organizers said that they started the recall campaign in response to Syrett's support for the MovingAhead city transit plan. The text of the petition appears below:[1][4]

Claire Syrett voted to advance the multimillion dollar MovingAhead project that will remove two lanes for cars on River Road and replace them with dedicated EmX bus lanes. This will leave only one lane for cars in each direction and take substantial private property from businesses and residents, including removal of parking and trees. Traffic congestion will increase. Syrett is ignoring the facts concerning opposition she has received. On 28 February 2022 she said, 'I don't believe I have received one communication from a property owner along River Road who has concerns about this proposal.' Five days earlier, over 150 petitions against MovingAhead, signed by people in and near her Ward including numerous people living and working on River Road, were delivered for her to the City Manager's office. She also received notes and emails in opposition. Syrett supports MovingAhead's EmX plan despite the fact that taxes will need to increase to support operations and maintenance for a system which cannot be rerouted to accommodate changes in ridership. Bus ridership has declined nationwide since 2012 despite increases in population. Syrett supports an EmX system not wanted and not responsive to new eco-friendly transportation alternatives.[5]

Recall opponents

Syrett's official response to the recall election appears below:

For the past ten years, I have served the voters of Eugene with integrity and dedication. During my time in office, I have worked diligently to represent the views and values of my constituents to the best of my ability. I have demonstrated leadership on issues voters have identified as priorities including combating climate change, promoting safe, reliable active transportation options, supporting increased funding for our police through the community safety initiative, and finding solutions to homelessness.

I respect the voters and the electoral process. I recognize that I cannot satisfy all constituents in my diverse ward, all the time. The recall petitioners have identified my vote on one policy decision as the reason for this effort. Attempting to recall an elected official over a vote is an abuse of the recall process, and un-democratic. Elections are the fair and proper way to replace an elected official over policy differences.

I have faith that the voters of Ward 7 will reject this recall effort and retain me as their duly elected city councilor. I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents and tackling the critical issues facing our community through hard work and dedication to the public good.[6][5]

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon

Organizers needed to collect 1,365 signatures to force a recall election to be scheduled. They submitted about 2,000 signatures to the city recorder in July 2022.[1] The recorder confirmed that organizers had met the signature requirement on August 1.[7]

See also

External links

Footnotes