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Patrick Perry recall, Wheeler County, Oregon (2016)
| Wheeler County Judge recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| August 15, 2016 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws Special district recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Patrick Perry from his position as judge of the Wheeler County Court in Wheeler County, Oregon, began in 2016. The recall was approved by 66 percent of voters on August 15, 2016.[1]
The recall petition alleged that Perry had an inappropriate relationship with Economic Development Director Patti Jaeger—who was under his supervision—earlier in 2016. It also claimed that with Perry in charge of the human resources department, there were "excessive situations needing litigation" requiring "thousands (of dollars) in fees and settlements." The third charge was that Perry gave another employee a raise by garnishing his own wages, but never actually reduced his own salary.[2]
The petition was filed by the husband of Wheeler County Treasurer Sandra Speer, Steve Speer. Sandra Speer and six other county officials asked Perry to resign in April, citing "serious allegations" but not going into detail. The county's sheriff and attorney general offices forwarded the allegations to the Oregon Department of Justice on April 29. The Department of Justice confirmed that it had begun an investigation into Perry but did not provide specific information.[2]
Perry was elected in 2012. The county judge presides over probate and juvenile matters, and serves as the chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Perry was one of three local officials in Eastern Oregon to face recall in 2016, including Steve Grasty in Harney County and Boyd Britton in Grant County.
Recall vote
Voters approved the recall on August 15, 2016, and Perry's removal was effective immediately.[1]
| Recall Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 406 | 66.12% | ||
| Retain | 208 | 33.88% | ||
Recall opponents
Perry defended himself in his statement of justification, saying that he had done the best he could with the limited resources available. "Trying to provide services with very limited funding does create controversy among elected officials, but I continuously work through these fiscal issues," he said. Both he and Jaeger denied that their relationship was ever inappropriate. Jaeger called him a "great friend and a good person, too."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
Recall supporters turned in 169 valid signatures, which was above the necessary amount of signatures. The number of valid signatures required to force a recall election is 15 percent of the total number of votes cast in the public officer’s electoral district for all candidates for governor at the last election at which a candidate for governor was elected to a full term. Since Perry declined to resign, a special election was scheduled for August 15, 2016.[2]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
