Recall elections were held for Brookings City Councilors Ed Schreiber and Michelle Morosky, as well as Mayor Ron Hedenskog.
Unofficial results from election night show that all three officials were recalled from office by approximately 70% of voters.
“The thing that was in a way surprising to me was the margins that we won, that for all of the candidates, it was better than two to one,” said Dennis Triglia, the chief petitioner of the committee to recall Mayor Hedenskog in an interview Wednesday. “This is the result of democracy in action.”
The effort was sparked by the reinstatement of City Manager Janell Howard in January. She had been caught shoplifting from a Fred Meyer last year and was placed on paid administrative leave.
In an email on Wednesday, Hedenskog said he had no comment, writing "The voters have decided."
In an email on Wednesday, Schreiber referred all questions to current city councilors who had not been recalled. Morosky did not respond to requests for comment.
According to Brookings Deputy City Recorder Brooklyn Osterhage, these public officials will continue to perform their duties until the election results are certified, which must happen no later than 35 days after the election.
According to Brookings City Code, the vacancies shall then be filled within 60 days by special election, since the number of vacancies in the council exceeds the number of members holding office.
“My hope is that we can find a mayor with a really good vision for Brookings moving forward into the future,” Triglia said.
