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Diane Pohl recall, Clatskanie, Oregon (2015)
| Clatskanie Mayor recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 17, 2015 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2015 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Clatskanie, Oregon, to recall Mayor Diane Pohl from her position was launched in September 2015.[1] The recall effort was defeated at the ballot on November 17, 2015.[2][3]
Recall vote
| Recall of Diane Pohl | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Recall | 189 | 46.9% | ||
 Retain | 214 | 53.1% | ||
Recall supporters
A group led by Virginia Leloff cited Pohl's unwillingness to support a police officer who filed an official complaint against former police chief Marvin Hoover. Hoover was accused of making racist remarks by Officer Alex Stone, who told The Oregonian that he felt encouraged by his commanding officer to not file the complaint.[1][4] The Clatskanie City Council and Mayor Pohl opted to accept Hoover's resignation on September 8, 2015, rather than pursue further investigations.[5]
The following statement was made on the prospective petition:
| “ |
We believe Mayor Pohl should have publicly supported the police officer who filed a report regarding allegations of professional misconduct by former [police] chief [Marvin] Hoover. Mayor Pohl should not have rushed to accept and recommend to the city council the acceptance of former chief Hoover's resignation prior to the completion of the DPSST investigation. Had Mayor Pohl taken people action it would have saved the taxpayers of the city of Clatskanie from undue monetary expense. [6] |
” |
| —The Oregonian, (2015), [1] | ||
Response by Diane Pohl
Pohl made the following statement regarding the petition on September 22, 2015:
| “ |
I can only say from the time the city received the complaint from DPSST, the city sought and acted upon advice from our attorney only. The complaint was not filed with the city, but with DPSST. Once we received the complaint from DPSST, we hired an investigator. Former Chief Hoover’s termination was a result of agreement by legal counsel representing former Chief Hoover and the city and presented to the Council for their decision. At no time did I make a decision alone or without advice of legal counsel or the City Council. As far as support for the officers, the City has been advised by legal counsel to wait for any comments until after the DPSST investigation has concluded, which it has not. I have proudly served as Mayor for 8-1/2 years and have strived to do my best for the constituents of Clatskanie. I do believe in the democratic system of our government and will leave the decision in the capable hands of the citizens of this city. [6] |
” |
| —Diane Pohl, (2015), [7] | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
The prospective petition filed in September 2015 was required to start the recall process. The petition was approved by the city recorder before signatures were collected. Recall organizers needed 90 signatures within 90 days of the petition's approval to trigger a recall election.[1] Leloff filed 140 signatures on October 6, 2015.[8] The Columbia County Elections Department approved the recall for the ballot on October 20, 2015.[2]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Oregonian, "Report: Petition aims to recall Clatskanie Mayor Diane Pohl," September 22, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KOIN, "Recall petition OK’d for Clatskanie’s Mayor Pohl," October 20, 2015
- ↑ Columbia County Elections Department, "County Election Night Results," November 17, 2015
- ↑ The Oregonian, "Clatskanie officer was told life would be 'hell' if he filed racism complaint against Chief Marvin Hoover," September 8, 2015
- ↑ KPTV, "Clatskanie police chief resigns amid accusations of racism," September 9, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Chief, "Mayor Pohl addresses recall effort," September 22, 2015
- ↑ The Chronicle, "Signature gathering complete for recall of Clatskanie mayor," October 9, 2015
