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Matt Langer recall, Sherwood, Oregon (2013)
| Sherwood Council recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2013 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Sherwood, Oregon to recall Councilman Matt Langer was initiated in May 2013. Recall organizers failed to submit enough signatures to put the recall election on the ballot.[1][2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by a group called the Sherwood Community Action Committee, which accused Langer of having a conflict of interest in his support for the proposed development of a Walmart on land owned by Langer's family. Jennifer Harris, the president of the Sherwood Community Action Committee, said, "Councilor Langer's ability to make decisions for the city of Sherwood is clouded by his love and desire for his family to thrive."[1]
Background
In 1995, land owned by the Langer family was zoned for commercial development. In 2007, Sherwood's city council reaffirmed zoning approval for commercial development on the site. In July 2012, a real estate developer, Gramor Development, applied for approval to develop a 145,000 square foot retail site on the property. In the fall of 2012, the city's planning commission considered this application for three months and held monthly meetings. Conditional approval was granted. No appeals were filed with the city council, and the planning commission's approval became final on November 26, 2012. On May 6, 2013, Gramor Development announced Walmart would be the anchor tenant on the site.[1]
Sherwood Town Plaza, Sherwood Market Center and Langer Farms Shopping Center were developed on land owned by the Langer family for generations, along with other parcels. According to Langer, his family's company was managed by his father and uncles. He said he had no voting rights, but served as a liaison between other property owners and the developer. However, he was listed as the company contact for the development.[1]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Langer said, "I understand that they are upset about a particular retailer they might not like and are choosing to take out their anger on me, but that's misguided, and all they are going to do is divide our town."[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
Recall organizers were required to submit 1,011 valid signatures by August 15, 2013, to put the recall election on the ballot. The Sherwood Community Action Committee said that more than 900 signatures had been gathered.[2]
See also
Footnotes
