Petition to recall Eugene city councilor Claire Syrett delivers 2,000 signatures
Update (7/25/2022): Councilor Syrett responded to our newsroom's request for an interview to get her perspective on the recall petition by saying, "I am not prepared to make a statement at this time while the process for validating the signatures proceeds. I look forward to continuing to serve my Ward 7 constituents to the best of my ability for the remainder of my term."
Original story (7/21/2022):
EUGENE, Ore. - Over 2,000 signatures were delivered to the city recorder today calling for the recall of Ward 7 city councilor Claire Syrett.
"We're going after Claire Syrett. You should take note of this. Doing a recall is an extraordinary thing,” said Mark Osterloh, the signature gathering coordinator.
Their scathing words from residents in Eugene’s Ward 7 as they move forward with a recall effort against the city councilor.
This is because of her support for the City of Eugene's controversial MovingAhead plan with Lane Transit District.
That plan would have changed traffic and public transit plans for north Eugene and the River Road area.
The goal of MovingAhead is to make it safer to get around Eugene, but there are some big concerns about congestions.
The changes from the plan would happen over the next 5 to 10 years to 5 major corridors in Eugene, including on River Road.
On River Road, recommendations include adding protective bike lanes, crosswalks and an LTD EmX system similar to that on W. 11th.
Petitioners claim this project would take away one lane of traffic in each direction and make traffic congestion worse.
"The traffic jams on River Road are going to be horrendous,” Osterloh says. “They're going to back up onto the expressway, and when it's rush hour, coming out of town in the evening, you're going to see backups right down to this area, waiting to get onto 6th Avenue, waiting to get out. If you have 3 people on a bus, that's a crowded bus right now."
The Eugene City Council approved this plan saying it will improve transportation options and increase safety.
But organizers of the recall effort say there is a lack of transparency between city officials and residents.
"I bid her adieu, and I welcome this recall effort,” said Janet Ayres, a Whiteaker neighborhood resident. “It's sorely needed. We need representation and not someone that's standing up for the lobbyists and the big developers that are pushing this through."
The City says, to date, they've held more than 20 open houses and emailed more than a thousand residents about the project.
But petitioners claim this wasn't the case.
"Nobody knew about this. We need the city to be transparent with us and LTD," said Natalie Crowder, a resident in Ward 7.
"When I went up and down River Road getting petition signatures, 95% of the people - at least - hadn't heard a thing about it," said Osterloh.
These petitioners also claim Syrett has ignored residents’ concerns on multiple other issues.
"Not addressing crime, the homelessness problem, wasting money on things that do not help the city," Osterloh said.
Now, they’re knocking on her door and calling for her resignation.
"We want you to reverse that vote and let's go back and look at what people really want. And not what the 'powers that be' are trying to ram down our throats."
1,365 signatures are needed to trigger a recall election and they say this petition has more than 2,000.
The Lane County Elections Office will now verify the signatures and determine if the effort meets the recall threshold.
If that happens, Councilor Syrett will have 5 days to resign, or the city will hold a special election for Ward 7 voters.
A simple majority is sufficient to remove her from office.
If the recall effort is successful, the remaining seven city councilors will choose Syrett's successor. The regular election for a new Ward 7 councilor will take place in 2024.
We reached out to Councilor Syrett for comment. We received an auto-reply message saying that while she reviews her council email daily, she typically responds on weekends.
For more information on MovingAhead, visit the website here.
