Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay recall, Morrow County, Oregon (2022)
| Morrow County Board of Commissioners Recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Melissa Lindsay |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 29, 2022 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws County commission recalls Recall reports |
Petitions for the recall of Morrow County Board of Commissioners members Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay were approved by the Morrow County Clerk in October 2022. Recall supporters gathered 648 valid signatures for Doherty and 657 valid signatures for Lindsay, exceeding the minimum 564 valid signatures per officeholder to get the recalls on the ballot. A recall election was scheduled for November 29, 2022.[1][2][3]
Doherty and Lindsay were recalled from office on November 29, 2022.[4]
Recall vote
Jim Doherty recall
Jim Doherty recall, 2022
Jim Doherty lost the Morrow County Commissioner, Position 1 recall election on November 29, 2022.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
53.3
|
1,339 | ||
No |
46.7
|
1,174 | |||
Total Votes |
2,513 | ||||
|
|
Melissa Lindsay recall
Melissa Lindsay recall, 2022
Melissa Lindsay lost the Morrow County Commissioner, Position 3 recall election on November 29, 2022.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
50.4
|
1,265 | ||
No |
49.6
|
1,244 | |||
Total Votes |
2,509 | ||||
|
|
Recall supporters
The following language in support of the recalls of Doherty and Lindsay appeared on the November 29, 2022, recall election ballot:[5]
Recall of Jim Doherty
| “ | Petitioners seek recall of Commissioner Jim Doherty for the reasons stated below.
Commissioner Doherty's decisions are not in the best interest of Morrow County citizens. He is not open and transparent in his actions as commissioner, making decisions in secret and outside of public purview and without the inclusion of the third County Commissioner. Commission meetings are not held in accordance with public open meeting law requirements. Doherty does not cooperate with other public and private agencies to the detriment of Morrow County citizens. His decisions regarding Morrow County employees has demoralized County employees and has been detrimental to a functional County government. Decisions are not made in the best interest of County taxpayers resulting in fiscal detriment to the County. [6] |
” |
Recall of Melissa Lindsay
| “ | As a commissioner your primary duty is to work for and with the people who elected you into office. Commissioner Lindsay has violated that trust in many ways, one being by intimidating county employees, resulting in either their firing or leaving their jobs under duress.
Commissioner Lindsay has repeatedly exhibited unprofessional behavior in her role as a public official. Commissioner Lindsay's actions have created county wide disapproval with other government and charitable organizations, refusing to listen to them. Commissioner Lindsay heard from the voters in the last election, however she will serve until January 2023, at which time she will be replaced by the new Commissioner elect. The action of the firing of the Morrow County Administrator, with no transparency, refusing to let the public speak, or answer the Administrators questions about why he was sitting there, made it clear that in the remaining time of her tenure, this behavior would continue and could cause added financial burdens to our county. To prevent irreversible damage, an immediate recall is the only answer. [6] |
” |
Recall opponents
The following language opposing the recall submitted by Doherty and Lindsay appeared on the November 29, 2022, recall election ballot:[5]
Jim Doherty's response
| “ | I will stand behind you, beside you or in front of you, rest assured I stand with you. (...)
This continues to be my guiding principle. When you fearlessly carry the voice of the people, those seeking continued suppression and disregard for the health and wellness of the community will stop at no ends. I dismiss the allegations with the following:
This sadly is an attempt to silence your voice in the process. I remain committed to standing up for clean water, community inclusion, honest leadership and the achievement of your dreams. I have an immeasurable love for this County and you. I will continue to advocate for you. 'Yes we can' Call anytime 541-571-0584 [6] |
” |
Melissa Lindsay's response
| “ | As a champion for eastern Oregon values and Morrow County, I'm grateful and honored to have served as Commissioner for six years. Through hard work, relationship-building, and partnerships, with honesty and integrity, I'm proud to have led Morrow County to a number of significant successes.
We have a responsibility to build upon the generations that came before us to create a thriving, viable county for generations to come. Vote NO on recall-reject the divisive silencing elitism that is turning us against one another. Keep Morrow County the wonderful community it is to live, work, and play. [6] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
Recall supporters had to collect the required 564 valid signatures per officeholder and submit the signatures for verification to the Morrow County Clerk to get the recalls on the ballot.[3]
See also
- Morrow County, Oregon
- Recall campaigns in Oregon
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- County commission recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ OPB.org, "Morrow County commissioners face recall," October 23, 2022
- ↑ OPB.org, "Oregon’s Morrow County sets recall date for commissioners," November 12, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 East Oregonian, "Morrow County receives petitions to recall Commissioners Lindsay, Doherty," October 13, 2022
- ↑ Morrow County Clerk, "Official Results November 29, 2022," accessed January 2, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Morrow County Clerk, "November 29, 2022 Recall Election - Commissioner Doherty, Position 1 - Commissioner Lindsay, Position 3," accessed November 21, 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
