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My
Fellow Citizens:
On
October 21, 2003, you will be asked to vote
regarding the recall attempts of two Philomath City
Councilors. Although both Councilors have requested
that the Mayor not get involved, many of our
citizens have asked for, (if not demanded) my
opinion concerning this issue.
First, before I share with you my official stance as
Mayor, it is extremely important to understand
Philomath’s current political situation. The recalls
are very real. Your vote in this election is very
important.
Second, there is much more at stake for the future of
our City than the recalls alone. I am not going to
sugarcoat our Council’s situation. This upcoming
recall election is a critical path determination for
the future direction of Philomath politics.
Third, on a vote of 4 to 3, our City Council opted not
to send the couplet (one of the recall issues) to
the voters for the upcoming November election. The
council members on the prevailing side shared
opinions that ample opportunity for citizen
involvement has already transpired.
During the Mayoral swearing-in ceremony held back in
January, I took an oath of office to uphold the
State of
Oregon Constitution.
This document provides Oregon citizens the right to
recall any elected public official. In other words,
if you the voter do not agree with the direction of
your elected officials, you do have the right of
recall for a course correction.
Many citizens on both sides of the recall have lobbied
hard for me to take a stance in their corner. Let me
say this. It is not up to the Mayor to ultimately
decide who shall lead. It is up to you the voter.
The Office of Mayor is to ensure that all rights of
our citizens are upheld. The job of Mayor is to
implement and adhere to the laws of our land. My job
is to enforce the Constitution. Your job as voters
is to determine if the recalls have merit.
Our existing City Council was elected last November to
address complicated (if not impossible) issues. I
believe that Philomath Citizens took the last
election very seriously, sending to City Hall their
best six choices for Councilor positions.
My official position as Mayor regarding the recalls is
as follows: Unless directed otherwise by you the
voter, I will continue to support our City Council
elected last November.
Should you the voter decide that you’re uncomfortable
with the current direction of our City Council, I
will work with, and support any Council of your
choice. You tell me what you want by utilizing your
vote, and I will make it work as Mayor.
Yes, the recalls and couplet issue has caused incredible
strain on our City. We are not the first
Oregon city that has had to endure these kinds of challenges. As
the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT move
to implement freight routes throughout the State, we
definitely won’t be the last. What does matter is
how we rise from this terrible ordeal. No community
should ever have to endure what we are going
through.
In conclusion, during my campaign I promised
“Accountability at City Hall”. The voters have the
right to use all mechanisms provided by our State
Constitution to ensure that every Council member,
(including the Mayor) are held accountable for all
actions.
Christopher A. Nusbaum
Mayor City of Philomath
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