Voters in Cottage Grove appear to have decided to remove three of their city council members from office.
Initial returns in Tuesday’s recall election show that approximately 61 percent of ballots were cast in favor of ending the terms of Mike Fleck, Alex Dreher and Chalice Savage. While the three councilors were on the ballot separately, the vote totals were nearly identical for each of them.
As of Tuesday evening, turnout for the recall election was 37 percent. The Lane County Elections office does not plan to release another update until Aug. 6. The election was only open to voters living in Cottage Grove city limits.
Chief petitioner Michael Borke said supporters of the recall were unhappy with the council's handling of a number of issues, including what they perceived as a lack of action to address the number of unhoused people living in Cottage Grove's public spaces.
“This is really the people of Cottage Grove talking that they want a clear, different change in direction on the way the city’s been heading,” Borke told KLCC.
Dreher, one of the targeted councilors, said even though results aren't official yet, she's accepted that the outcome will mean she'll soon have to vacate the office.
"Every ending is a new beginning," she said, adding that she plans to continue to look for volunteer opportunities to serve Cottage Grove, albeit in an unelected capacity.
Still, Dreher told KLCC that she's concerned that the recall process, including a failed attempt last year, has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the city.
“I am concerned that the chaos and division caused by the recall is affecting people who want to do business in our community, as well as our options to get federal and state grants," she said. "I mean, who will want to invest in a chaotic environment? It doesn’t necessarily bode well.”
If results hold, the remaining city council would still be able to meet until replacements are appointed or elected.
Borke said that’s because he made sure his recall effort would still leave a quorum of elected officials even if it were successful. He said he hopes the new council members will listen to the concerns of the community.
"I hope that they bring a balance to the city council and that they truly, really look at the issues that are out there," he said. "You're not going to make everybody happy, but you can make a heck of a lot more people (happy) when more people have a say in what the process is."
