Susan Morgan recall, Douglas County Commission, Oregon (2015)
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Signature gathering for an effort in Douglas County, Oregon, to recall Commissioner Susan Morgan began on September 30, 2015.
Petitioners launched the recall effort as a response to the lawsuit Morgan filed against the county over the its two-term limit for elected officials. Susan Morgan was elected to her second four-year term as county commissioner in 2012 and wanted to run for a third term in office. The county's term limits were approved by about 70 percent of county voters in November 2014. Morgan filed a lawsuit against the county, arguing that the county's term limit ordinance was unconstitutional.[1][2]
County officials estimated that the lawsuit would cost the county about $10,000. They also estimated that a recall election would cost about $30,000, since county election officials had never organized a recall election before and an outside consultant would likely have been required.[1]
The effort did not result in a recall election because proponents failed to collect enough signatures by the deadline of December 30.[3]
Despite winning the right to run for a third term, Morgan withdrew from the race in January 2016.[4]
Recall supporters
Ralph Lamell, as the chief recall petitioner, organized the effort to remove Susan Morgan from office.[1]
Lamell argued, “We, the voters, have spoken. She’s challenging the ordinance and the laws, and the people have spoken at this point. It’s up to us as citizens to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions.”[1]
Responding to criticism that the recall election would likely cost the county more than defending against the lawsuit filed by Morgan, Lamell said, "You [Susan Morgan] are solely culpable for the costs to the county of both your lawsuit and the resulting recall election."[1]
J.D. Parks, a supporter of the recall, said that Morgan was trying to violate the will of “an overwhelming majority of the citizens of the county" and described Morgan's lawsuit as “the tantrum of a petulant child.” He said, “Elected officials serve essentially as employees of the people. We, the employers, are letting you know enough is enough, and this is effectively a termination notice."[1]
Lamell also called on Morgan to simply resign, saying it would save the county money and save herself embarrassment. Lamell said, “This is a call out to Susan Morgan. I am giving you an out. Save yourself the embarrassment and the people of Douglas County the hardships and resign your position of county commissioner."[2]
Recall opponents
Riddle Mayor Bill Duckett, who opposed the county's term limit law, stated that some of the opponents of Morgan stepped out of line with their arguments and accusations. Some recall supporters accused Morgan and the other county commissioners of corruption. Duckett defended the board and said, “If this happened in school, the things that are happening here happened in school, it would be called bullying. If it happened in the private sector it would be called harassment."[5]
Paul Beck, a resident of Roseburg, also spoke out in defense of Morgan. He said he felt the term limits law targeted by Morgan's lawsuit infringed on the rights of voters to choose, a choice that he felt should include the incumbent commissioners regardless of their time in office. Beck also criticized Morgan's opponents for using inappropriate personal attacks.[5]
Response from Susan Morgan
Morgan defended her challenge of the county's term limits in court by saying, “There has always been a question about whether the measure is constitutional. Only the courts can provide the final answer to that question. This case will clarify the law and help sort out its complexities."[1]
She also said, "I think that there are legitimate questions to be asked here. I think my oath of office makes it very clear that I am to do that, and so I am going to continue with this lawsuit."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
Petitioners needed 6,193 valid signatures by December 30, 2015, to force a recall election, which would have take place in May 2016. The signature requirement for a recall in Oregon is 15 percent of the votes cast for governor at the preceding gubernatorial election in the electoral district of the targeted official.[1]
Petitioners did not reach the necessary amount of signatures before the deadline and the petition was withdrawn.[3]
See also
External links
Recent news
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 NRtoday, "Recall petition filed against Commissioner Morgan," September 30, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 NRtoday, "Recall petitioner asks Morgan to resign," October 22, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 NR Today, "Recall attempt against Susan Morgan fails for insufficient signatures," January 4, 2016
- ↑ NR Today, "Community reacts to Susan Morgan's withdrawal from Douglas County commissioner race," January 13, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 NRtoday, "Douglas County Commissioner Susan Morgan's critics accused of bullying," November 5, 2015
