A timeline of statements surrounding Salem city manager’s resignation

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Salem city officials have made multiple statements about City Manager Keith Stahley’s departure since his abrupt resignation became public on Monday, Feb. 10.

The circumstances of his departure were initially unclear, and city statements initially said he resigned at the request of the city council, before later claiming he was not asked to resign.

Salem Reporter compiled all city and councilor statements made in the week since Stahley left his office.

City reverses course, saying councilor never asked city manager to resign

Friday, Feb. 7: City Manager Keith Stahley speaks with City Council President Linda Nishioka.

Sunday, Feb. 9: Stahley resigns in a letter addressed to councilors and Mayor Julie Hoy.

Monday, Feb. 10: The Salem City Council holds a private meeting Monday evening under a section of state law that allows councilors to meet privately to “consider the dismissal or discipline of an employee.” Councilors then voted unanimously in a public meeting to accept Stahley’s resignation and approve a severance package worth about $256,000.

Tuesday, Feb. 11: The city of Salem releases Stahley’s resignation letter in response to a public records request from Salem Reporter. The city releases a brief statement on Stahley’s departure titled “Salem City Manager Resigns”:

The Salem City Council accepted City Manager Keith Stahley’s resignation on Monday, February 10, 2025.  Stahley began his tenure as Salem’s City Manager on September 12, 2022, following a five-month recruitment. At City Council’s request, Mr. Stahley submitted his letter of resignation on February 9, 2025. Per the terms of his contract, Mr. Stahley will receive a total of eight months’ severance and is entitled to a pay out of accrued leave for a sum of $255,845.97.

“This was a hard decision,” said Mayor Julie Hoy. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity for healing and coming together as we find the most effective path forward for our Council and our community.”

The City Council will determine how to proceed with regard to a permanent replacement.

Effective immediately, Deputy City Manager Krishna Namburi will be Acting in Capacity as City Manager.  Krishna has been with the City of Salem for 25 years, serving as the Deputy City Manager since 2022, overseeing the Enterprise Services Department.  The Department consolidates services in support of business continuity and Citywide strategic initiatives including: Information Technology, Human Resources, Customer Service Center, Fleet, Facilities, and Risk Services. Krishna brings two decades of executive leadership in local government.

Thursday, Feb. 12: The city of Salem issues an unsigned statement addressing Stahley’s resignation:

Salem, Ore. – The City Manager is the sole employee of the City Council.  Decisions regarding the City Manager’s employment are made by Council collectively and in a public setting.  The City Council accepted Mr. Stahley’s resignation at the City Council meeting of February 10, 2025. To-date, Mr. Stahley’s resignation letter dated February 9, 2025 has been made available to the public.  Following the City Council’s acceptance of his resignation, and execution of Mr. Stahley’s separation agreement, the City is able to release more information about Mr. Stahley’s separation from the City. 

• February 7, 2025.  As Mr. Stahley noted in his resignation letter, Council President Linda Nishioka met with Mr. Stahley and discussed his potential resignation.  Councilor Nishioka met with Mr. Stahley because she believed that Council could conduct a public process leading to Council asking Mr. Stahley for his resignation.  She has stated that she wanted him to avoid the potential embarrassment of that process. Due to public meeting law limitations, Councilor Nishioka was concerned that speaking with other members of Council about this issue would violate the law. She relied on her understanding of the situation after speaking with Mayor Julie Hoy.  This conversation triggered an Executive Session to consider the dismissal or discipline of an employee (ORS 192.660(2)(b)).
   
• February 9, 2025.  Mr. Stahley submitted his resignation to the City Attorney via email on Sunday evening. Mr. Stahley submitted his resignation without speaking to other members of Council. Under his employment agreement, he would only receive those benefits if he resigned upon being asked “by a duly authorized representative” of Council or was terminated, which may explain his choice of words in his letter.  He removed his personal effects and name plate from his office before 8 a.m. Monday morning.  He informed staff that he would not be at the City offices on Monday.
  
  Upon receipt of the City Manager’s email, the City Attorney provided the resignation letter to City Council and informed them an executive session would be scheduled for Monday, February 10, 2025 for City Council to consider his letter. As provided by Oregon law, Mr. Stahley had the right to attend that executive session or require that the discussion occur at a public meeting instead. The City Attorney advised Mr. Stahley of his rights, and he chose not to attend the executive session or require it occur at a public meeting.
   
• February 10, 2025.  Immediately prior to the City Council meeting that evening, the City Council met in executive session to consider Mr. Stahley’s resignation.  At the City Council meeting, the Council unanimously agreed to accept his resignation.
   
• February 12, 2025.  Mr. Stahley’s separation agreement was executed.  As noted in the separation agreement, Mr. Stahley will receive severance benefits as outlined in his employment agreement, which includes compensation equivalent to eight months of salary and benefits, such as PERS and health insurance. The total severance compensation, including a payout of accrued leave totals approximately $255,000. 

“We are each called to serve our community and strive to do so with our community’s best interests at heart,” said Mayor Julie Hoy.  “This was a hard decision for each member of Council.  The City’s business is done by the City Council together.  Throughout this transition, our actions have been guided by a commitment to effective leadership and continuity during this time of change.”

As Salem’s City Manager, Keith Stahley advanced decisions about Salem Willamette Valley Airport investments to attract commercial air service, improvements to the development review process, recruiting members of an executive leadership team (including Fire Chief and Deputy City Manager for Community Services), and transitioning emergency medical services to the City’s portfolio.  Mr. Stahley’s commitment to public service is demonstrated by his more than 30 years of local government experience. 

“Keith was focused on service to this community with integrity and trust, and we are grateful for his leadership,” said Krishna Namburi, who is acting-in-capacity as City Manager. “My immediate goals are to provide continuity and support the Council, the organization, and the community through this transition. I am grateful to be part of this organization and the continued commitment of our staff to our community.  In keeping with that spirit, the City’s priority is to move forward and provide the highest quality service to our community.” 

Friday, Feb. 14: Councilor Micky Varney issues her own statement to media and on her Facebook page calling for transparency on the circumstances surrounding Stahley’s departure:

I write this feeling great sadness and regret at what has transpired over the past week. It has eroded the trust and transparency we as a Council have been trying to rebuild over the past year.

The public has every right to, and deserves, an explanation of the events leading up to and following the city manager’s submission of his letter of resignation. The public has a right to demand that their elected officials follow the rules and statutes they all took an oath to uphold when they took office. 

I believe that trust matters and respect is the currency of trust. I also believe that my duties, as your elected city councilor, include the sharing of concerns when warranted, and in a timely manner. 

Transparency is a standard you have every right to expect of your government.

Members of the public and members of the Council deserve answers. The manner in which the city manager’s resignation occurred is untimely and unacceptable. I believe we all must continue to ask questions in order to discover exactly what actions were taken, and by whom and why, between the timing of the recent audit report and the abrupt resignation of the city manager earlier this week.

I am unaware of what really happened over the past few days, and I believe it is essential that we understand the reality of how we ended up in the situation we now find ourselves. Namely, we are now without a city manager while beginning the city budget setting process for the upcoming fiscal year.  

There are many reports circulating around the various media speculating what may or may not have occurred. This suggests that either the facts were not provided to the media, or someone, or someones, misreported the facts to purposefully shape the larger narrative for a desired outcome. 

It is apparent the city manager accepted a request to resign from a representative of the whole or (at least as stated in the resignation document), a majority of the council. However, no single city councilor – or mayor – has the authority to ask for a resignation absent a vote of the entire council. In this instance, this never occurred.

I, and to the best of my knowledge many of my fellow councilors, were not aware of what was transpiring during the week prior to the city manager’s resignation. We were following the rules which specify that we do not communicate with one another regarding city matters outside of a public meeting.

I was shocked to hear of the city manager’s resignation. 

I am looking forward to being able to fill in many of the gaps as more facts are brought forward. I urge patience as more information is gathered.

In conclusion, I ask our city and community to remain engaged and participate in the steps ahead of us. I recognize the need for trust-building and truth-telling, and that is precisely why I am sharing my concerns with you in this message. 

Together, I believe we can and will move Salem forward, but it will take all of us working together to be able to achieve that objective.

Saturday, Feb. 15: City Attorney Dan Atchison issues a statement addressing Stahley’s resignation:

Questions have been raised concerning potential public meeting violations relating to the events leading up to the resignation of former Salem City Manager Keith Stahley. Those concerns are based on an inaccurate understanding of those events.  As City Attorney I was asked for guidance from members of Council concerning this matter. Based on my knowledge of this matter and 18 years advising the City concerning Oregon public records law, I am confident that no public meetings laws were violated and all members of City Council acted consistent with advice from the City Attorney concerning Oregon public meeting laws.

• Mayor Julie Hoy had individual communications with different members of City Council concerning Keith Stahley’s performance and potential separation from the City.
• Prior to those communications, Mayor Julie Hoy consulted with me, as City Attorney. I advised the Mayor that one-on-one conversations with other members of Council did not violate public meeting law or constitute “serial meetings.” It is my understanding that the Mayor did not attempt to coordinate a collective decision among members of council through her individual discussions with councilors.
• As part of her effort to communicate with members of City Council concerning this issue, Mayor Julie Hoy spoke on the phone with Councilor Nishioka.
• After meeting with Mayor Julie Hoy, Councilor Nishioka decided to discuss this subject with Keith Stahley.
• At that meeting, Councilor Nishioka asked Keith Stahley if he would consider resigning.
• Councilor Nishioka never said that she was City Council’s “duly authorized representative” or implied she was speaking on behalf of City Council.
• Keith Stahley emailed his resignation letter to the City Attorney on Sunday evening, February 9, 2025. By Monday morning the 10th, he had removed his personal effects from his office, including removing his nameplate from the door and left his City-issued mobile phone and key on his desk. He informed staff he would not be in the office on Monday.
• Keith Stahley was only eligible for severance benefits if the Council asked him to resign or terminated him.
• Stahley’s resignation letter stated that Nishioka said she was “the duly authorized representative of City Council” acting on Council’s behalf. That language is straight from Stahley’s employment agreement concerning severance benefits. Stahley used that exact language apparently because it was consistent with the language in his employment agreement concerning his eligibility for severance, not because Nishioka ever uttered those words.
• Prior to the City Council meeting on Monday, February 10, 2025, Council conducted an executive session to consider Keith Stahley’s resignation. The discussion that occurred at that executive session is confidential and may not be disclosed, even by members of Council. That executive session was the first instance where Council collectively discussed Mr. Stahley’s resignation.
• At the City Council meeting, Council accepted Stahley’s resignation and deemed his resignation to be at the request of Council. City Council took that action, in that manner, to allow Stahley to receive severance benefits, in recognition of his service to the City and the circumstances of his resignation.

Sunday, Feb. 16: Council President Linda Nishioka issues a statement on Stahley’s departure:

Given my conversation with Mayor Julie Hoy, I became deeply concerned for Mr. Stahley’s well-being and felt it was important to inform him about the discussions surrounding his position. I witnessed his efforts to strengthen his working relationship with Mayor Julie Hoy and believed I had seen signs of improvement.

During my scheduled one-on-one meeting with Mr. Stahley on Friday, February 7th, I communicated the following:

• Mayor Julie Hoy told me that a majority of councilors believed Mr. Stahley should consider resigning.

• I suggested that he might consider resigning and speak with his wife and family if he felt it was in his best interest.

• I emphasized my concern for his well-being.

• Mr. Stahley shared that he and his wife had already discussed the possibility of his resignation.

• I enjoyed working with him and only wanted the best for him and his family.

At no point did I: 

• Tell Mr. Stahley I represented the City Council or acting on City Council’s behalf.

• Tell Mr. Stahley I was acting as an authorized representative for the Council.

• Ask for his resignation.

• Nor did anyone ask me to ask him to resign. 

I wanted for him to know:

• There were concerns about his performance and leadership style.

• That I wanted him to be eligible for severance benefits because he deserved his severance package if his decision was to resign.”

I acted in good faith. The level of anger and misinformation being spread is genuinely disheartening.