This story originally appeared in the Oregon Capital Chronicle and is used with permission.
There will be a city council recall election in July.
The Lincoln County clerk on Wednesday informed the city of Waldport that enough signatures had been verified to hold a recall election July 14 for six councilors — Greg Dunn, Susan Woodruff, Rick Booth, Jayme Morris, Michelle Severson and Jerry Townsend.
Mayor Heide Lambert was not a target of the recall campaign.
Council members have until 5 p.m. Monday to resign or submit a statement why they should not be removed from the council. All told the Lincoln Chronicle they will not resign.
The recall election must be held no later than 35 days after Monday, so county clerk Amy Southwell said the election will be by mail ballot ending at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.
Southwell’s office had to verify at least 192 voter signatures for each council member for the recall to proceed. The verified number ranged from 194 to 200 signatures, according to city recorder Megan Torres. The number of signatures is determined by the state based on the calculation of 15 percent of the 1,276 city residents who voted in the last election for governor.
The election’s cost to the city of Waldport is estimated between $3,600 and $5,000 depending on the county’s final expenses.
The recall effort has been led by council critic Tony Thimakis, supporters of Lambert and others connected to the Beachcomber Days organization, which the city has barred from conducting events in Waldport needing city licenses because of financial and governance issues.
What petitions claim
The petitions – there had to be one for each council member — mirror claims from the first effort last November, which was invalidated after the county determined signature gatherers violated state law by writing in the addresses for some people who signed.
The petitioners said the six should be recalled because:
- They voted April 3, 2025, to remove Lambert from office over allegations she violated the city charter for trying to direct city employees. Councilors reinstated her a month later after a judge’s order and Lambert since filed a lawsuit against the city for $250,000;
- They allowed city manager Dann Cutter to speak on their behalf in their intention to fight the district attorney’s decision not to file criminal charges against the mayor for returning to her seat April 10 when she was removed and arrested by a sheriff’s deputy;
- They kept Lambert from responding to public statements at meetings, dismissing without investigation multiple complaints against Cutter while also failing to supervise him, resulting in fiscal mismanagement that included four years of delinquent city audits and impeding access to public records; and
- They did not rein in Cutter as he dealt with financial issues surrounding the Waldport Beachcomber Days organization, eventually leading the council to bar the organization from operating in the city.
Statement, responses
In a statement to the media Wednesday, Thimakis said the recall certification is “the culmination of months of growing public frustration with the direction of city government and what many residents view as a pattern of secrecy, selective enforcement, and disregard for public accountability.”
“The issue is larger than any one vote, policy, or personality,” Thimakis wrote. “This recall is about whether the people of Waldport still have confidence in the officials who represent them. Government works only when citizens believe the rules apply equally to everyone and that decisions are being made openly and honestly. Recall supporters say the election presents voters with an opportunity to reset the relationship between city hall and the community by demanding greater accountability, transparency, and responsiveness from local government.”
If a councilor is recalled, the position is filled by appointment by a majority of any remaining council members — if there are enough for a quorum, according to the Waldport city charter. A newly appointed council member’s term would begin immediately and continue until Dec. 31 if the position is up for election in this November’s general election, according to the city charter.
If all six are recalled, an election to fill their positions would be part of the November general election. Three positions held by Woodruff, Booth and Severson are already up for election in November, as is the mayor’s position. Residents can file in August to run in the November election.
Woodruff is in her second council term which ends in December and has served 25 years as mayor or councilor. Booth is in his second term, which expires in December, and Severson is in her first, four-year term which also ends this year.
Dunn is in his third four-year term, which ends in 2028. Morris is in her second, four-year term that ends in 2028, and Townsend is in his first term, which also ends in 2028.
Booth, Severson and Morris said they will not resign and would file statements Monday.
Townsend said he has spent his life in public service and will not resign.
“I respect Waldport citizens and trust them to judge my performance as city councilor,” he said in an email to the Chronicle. “I have followed city, state and federal law, honoring a pledge I made in each term. I have met with citizens anywhere, anytime to hear and respond to their concerns. My goal is to help improve Waldport for everyone.”
Woodruff said she will not resign but also that she does not intend to run for re-election in November.
“Our city residents have generously voted in favor of my participation in our government in a number of elections, and I intend to fulfill my commitment to do my best for them until my term and 2026 ends,” Woodruff said. “Our voters will weigh in to decide that recall attempt soon, and I believe they will feel it wiser to support an orderly transition in city council members with a ‘No’ vote on this recall election. Much depends on this vote.”
Dunn, who has been the subject of unrelenting mostly anonymous attacks on the recall supporters’ Facebook pages, also said he will not resign.
“I was elected to serve the residents of our community, and I intend to continue fulfilling the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me unless and until the voters decide otherwise through the proper legal process,” Dunn said in a statement. “Public service often involves difficult decisions, differing opinions, and spirited debate. While I respect the rights of citizens to express their views and utilize the recall process available to them, I remain committed to serving the community with integrity, transparency, and dedication.”