News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
A group of Sisters citizens is trying to recall city council president Gordon Petrie because of his efforts to stop grant funding for a sewer system.
The recall petition filed Monday, September 14, by Melanie Curry of the political action committee Citizens for Cooperative Urban Planning, alleges that Petrie "has put his own agenda before desires of the majority of voters in Sisters."
Petrie declined to comment about the petition to The Nugget, saying that he had not previously heard about it and that he needed time to think about his response.
Petrie faced numerous demands that he resign after he signed a letter sent by four Sisters couples to the Oregon Economic Development Department asking the agency to deny a request for $1.25 million to help fund Sisters' sewer project.
In the letter, Petrie noted his position as city council president.
A recall petition requires 47 signatures from registered voters of the city. If enough signatures are gathered, a vote to oust Petrie from the city council could appear on the November 3 general election ballot.
According to city administrator Barbara Warren, Petrie would be given five days to resign before a ballot title was submitted.
Petrie defended his actions when challenged by Sisters Mayor Steve Wilson and other councilors at the city council meeting September 10.
"I think I am entitled to pursue these things in any way I please on my own time," Petrie said.
Petrie told The Nugget after the meeting that he will not step down.
Other city council members took Petrie's actions as an unacceptable attempt by a city councilor to overturn the voters' decision on the sewer.
"The voters have already decided and Gordon is wrong to try to undermine what the voters have already decided," said councilor Tim Clasen.
City attorney Steve Bryant called Petrie's actions "marginal."
He said the council could possibly base an ethics complaint on outside interference with a contract, since the city is in contractual negotiations to obtain grant funding.
But, Bryant told the council, "I'm not sure that rises to the level of the kind of misconduct you're looking for."
Still, some citizens believe that Petrie's actions merit removal from his position.
"I think this has gone totally out of line," former city councilor Gary Miller said. "I publicly call on Gordon Petrie to tender a resignation to the council to avoid the council the embarrassment of initiating impeachment proceedings."
Mayor Wilson pointed out that the city's charter does not allow for impeachment.
The only way to remove a sitting councilor before his term expires is through a recall election.
Wilson, too, suggested that Petrie resign.
Joseph Bottero, who also signed the letter to OEDD, defended Petrie.
"This man belongs to the city council because he wants to work for the good of the city," Bottero said.
Boterro argued that the city did not explore alternative sewer systems and that the sewer focus group formed to gather information on the sewer proposal was biased from its inception in favor of HGE's sewer plan.
The letter signed by Bottero and Petrie alleged that the city misled voters about the need for a sewer.
"My feeling is, this process was corrupt from the beginning," Bottero said.
This statement prompted an angry response from focus-group member Melanie Curry, who said the letter's allegations are false and "a personal attack on me.
"I also ask you to resign," she told Petrie.
Councilor Sheryl Whent had earlier called for Petrie's resignation in a letter to the editor of The Nugget.
Whent told The Nugget that she wrote the letter because, "I felt that the people I represent needed to know the facts. They needed to know what a fellow councilor was doing."
She said freedom of speech was not an issue, that Petrie should resign and "have all the free speech he wants."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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