Katy Dunsmuir recall, Estacada, Oregon (2021-2022)
| Estacada city council recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall City Councilmember Katy Dunsmuir did not qualify for the ballot in Estacada, Oregon, after organizers submitted 184 signatures, which fell short of the threshold needed to force a recall election to be held.[1] The recall centered around the Red Fox Project, a proposal to convert an area motel into housing for people displaced by wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic.[2]
Recall supporters
Residents Cathy Fernstedt and Trena Feldman initiated the recall effort. Recall supporters alleged that Dunsmuir had failed to listen to constituents who were opposed to the Red Fox Project, a proposal to convert the Red Fox Motel into housing for people affected by wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic. The motel could then later have been used for workforce housing, or housing that would be affordable to those earning 60% of the area's median income. In January 2021, the Clackamas County Commission considered entering the due diligence phase of the project, but voted against moving forward.[3]
The petition language appears below:[2]
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On multiple occasions Counselor Dunsmuir has shown to place her personal agenda above the citizens of Estacada, failing to recuse herself when she has stated or shown she has a personal interest. ... She has also on numerous occasions stated the people do not need to be involved in the decision making nor does she need their input. It has been observed many times that she makes motions out of order and decisions without taking the time to do proper due diligence. She has also on many occasions over the pandemic used her platform for her personal agenda, on pushing controversial issues as well as disrespectful statements towards the people she represents. Counselor Dunsmuir has also expressed her deep disappointment in the Red Fox Deal being stopped, despite the majority interest of the people against it. Counselor Dunsmir has also been observed online making derogatory and disrespectful statements toward other counselors, the mayor and community organizations. These kinds of behaviors do not make a good representation of the people and show she is not fit to be a city official.[4] |
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Recall opponents
Dunsmuir responded to the recall effort, saying, "Upon reading (the petition), I'm outraged because so many of these things are presented as fact, but they are not. They might be assumptions at best, or speculation, or they're flat out lies."[2]
In an editorial opposing the recall effort, an excerpt of which appears below, Pamplin Media Group defended Dunsmuir:[5]
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In the recall petition: • Dunsmuir is accused of placing her personal agenda ahead of the citizens of Estacada. Elected officials are allowed to form opinions and cast votes according to what they deem is in the best interests of the community. Their choices are in no way required to side with popular (or minority) opinion. • Dunsmuir is accused of attempting to impede public testimony regarding the purchase of the Red Fox Motel by Clackamas County, and its conversion into housing. Dunsmuir notes that community meetings would have been included in the project's due-diligence phase, a process she would have supported. • Dunsmuir is accused of making 'derogatory and disrespectful' statements online toward fellow city councilors, the mayor and community organizations. In a Facebook discussion with another Estacada resident about the potential housing project at the Red Fox Motel, Dunsmuir said, 'Before you light your torch or sharpen your pitchfork, please understand that community meetings and Town Halls are already in the works, with representation from the Housing Authority itself because community involvement/input is.' The petitioner found this interaction upsetting, but it excludes Dunsmuir's full response and is also directed at a constituent, rather than any of the groups previously mentioned. Beyond this, the petitioner offers nothing in the way of specific instances of disrespectful statements toward fellow councilors, the mayor or community groups. And when asked by the Estacada News for examples, the petitioner declined to disclose proof that these comments exist. Recall elections are a public process. If the petitioner isn't willing to share that information, in the interest of transparency, then this item should be stricken from the petition. Step-by-step, one-by-one, the accusations against Dunsmuir tumble like dominos, revealing this recall petition as an attempt to remove a public official from office based entirely on a personal vendetta. Failing to substantiate the claims against Dunsmuir, this petition becomes yet another example of an inappropriate use of the recall process.[4] |
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Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
Organizers filed the initial recall petition on December 6, 2021. They had until February 28, 2022, to collect 214 signatures.[2] The campaign ended after organizers submitted 184 signatures, which fell short of the threshold needed to force a recall election to be held.[1]
See also
- Recall campaigns in Oregon
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Facebook, "Katy Dunsmuir, Estacada City Councilor," March 2, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Estacada News, "Resident files recall petition for Estacada City Councilor," December 17, 2021
- ↑ Clackamas Review, "Clackamas County halts housing project at Estacada motel," January 28, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Estacada News, "OPINION: Don't sign the petition to recall Councilor Dunsmuir in Estacada," December 28, 2021
