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Grants Pass City Council recall, Oregon, 2009
| Grants Pass City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Mark Townes Rob Pell Ward Warren Lisa Berger |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| September 15, 2009 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2009 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
A vote to recall five members of the Grants Pass City Council took place on September 15, 2009 in Josephine County for voters in the city of Grants Pass. Specifically the recall targeted: Council President Bill Kangas and councilors Mark Townes, Rob Pell, Ward Warren, and Lisa Berger. Targeted officials had the option to either resign or face the recall election in September.[1]
Ballots were sent out to voters on August 31, 2009, according to county officials. According to Josephine County Clerk and Recorder Art Harvey "only 20 percent of items up for recall actually got recalled."[2]
All five council members were recalled.[3]
Election results
Below are the results for individual council members:[4]
| Recall target | Vote for recall | % | Vote against recall | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council President Bill Kangas | 4,042 
|
54.8 | 3,614 | 45.2 |
| Mark Townes | 4,039
|
52.9 | 3,590 | 47.1 |
| Rob Pell | 4,201
|
54.8 | 3,461 | 45.2 |
| Ward Warren | 4,307
|
56.2 | 3,354 | 43.8 |
| Lisa Berger | 4,451
|
58.2 | 3,194 | 41.8 |
Background
The recall campaign began in June and July 2009 after months of turmoil between former City Manager David Frasher and the city Council. The council made several attempts to fire Frasher but in the last attempt Mayor Mike Murphy vetoed the motion. Shortly thereafter, on July 8, 2009, Frasher resigned from his position as City Manager.[5] According to reports, during the first meeting with the new council in January 2009, Frasher became "belligerent, cursed out four of the councilors and almost knocked one of them down."[6]
Support
Those who support the recall are organized in a group called "Grants Pass City Council Recall". The group is led by local residents Dan Runyon, Jay Jones and Mike Slagle.[7]
Against Kangas
When a recall action is announced, recall supporters must provide a list of their reasons. Below are the reasons given by recall supporters for removing Kangas from office, according to petition language:[7]
- questionable handling of the potential dismissal of a public officer
- requesting an executive officer violate an employee's 1st Amendment rights
- lack of understanding Open Meetings Law
- creating a hostile work environment
- removing the Mayor's authority to nominate committee appointments
- creating an unnecessary crisis at the expense of legitimate city business
Against Townes
Reasons given by recall supporters for removing Townes from office include:[7]
- creating an unnecessary crisis at the expense of legitimate city business
- creating a hostile work environment
- not supporting levy funding, in turn threatening public safety
- lack of understanding Open Meetings Law
- removing the Mayor's authority to nominate committee appointments
- disregard of advice from City Attorney and Finance Director on illegal decisions
- false campaign promises
- using costly non-local attorney services
- ignoring public opinion
Against Pell
Reasons given by recall supporters for removing Pell from office include:[7]
- creating an unnecessary crisis at the expense of legitimate city business
- creating a hostile work environment
- lack of understanding Open Meetings Law
- removing and circumventing the Mayor's authority to nominate committee appointments
- disregard of city Attorney advice
- false campaign promises
- using costly non-local attorney services
- ignoring public opinion
Against Warren
Reasons given by recall supporters for removing Warren from office include:[7]
- creating an unnecessary crisis at the expense of legitimate city business
- making false accusations against staff
- lack of understanding Open Meetings Law
- creating a hostile work environment
- removing and circumventing the Mayor's authority to nominate committee appointments
- disregard of city Attorney advice
- false campaign promises
- using costly non-local attorney services
- ignoring public opinion
- disorderly conduct
Against Berger
Reasons given by recall supporters for removing Berger from office include:[7]
- lack of attendance and leaving council meetings early
- questionable handling of the potential dismissal of a public officer
- not supporting levy funding, in turn threatening public safety
- creating an unnecessary crisis at the expense of legitimate city business
- lack of understanding Open Meetings Law
- creating a hostile work environment
- removing and circumventing the Mayor's authority to nominate committee appointments
Opposition
In reaction to the recall campaign Council President Kangas said that the accusation are "unfounded" and added,"We wanted some accusations with some truth. Give me the proof. I want proof beyond a reasonable doubt if I did something wrong I would love to know about it."[5]
Some residents argued that there was a "full-blown effort of resistance to the council" and their jobs were made increasingly difficult when allegedly Frasher told councilors that he instructed his staff not to take any instruction from the council.[6]
Signatures
On Friday, August 7, 2009 the Josephine County Clerk announced that petitioners gathered enough signatures to hold a recall election for all 5 council members.[5] Petitioners needed a minimum of 1,689 valid signatures. According to supporters they collected more than 2,250 signatures for Berger and Kangas and more than 1,950 signatures for Townes, Pell and Warren.[8]
Cost
According to the Josephine County Clery the recall election is expected to cost between $20-$25,000.[5]
See also
Michael Murphy recall, Grants Pass, Oregon, 2009
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KTVL, "GP Council Members Face Recall Election Next Month," August 7, 2009 (dead link)
- ↑ KDRV, "Ballots go out for Grants Pass recall election," August 31, 2009
- ↑ KDRV, "5 GP city councilors voted out of office," September 15, 2009
- ↑ Josephine County, "Special Election, Sept. 15, results," September 15, 2009
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 KDRV, "5 Grants Pass councilors to face recall election," August 7, 2009
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 NewsWithViews.com, "It's the Progressive Climate:How the Grants Pass City Council Recall Affects All Americans," December 14, 2009
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Grants Pass Recall, "Petitions," accessed August 25, 2009
- ↑ Grants Pass Recall, "Official Statement," August 6, 2009
Additional reading
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