The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted Friday to investigate Salem Mayor Julie Hoy and all seven Salem city councilors to determine if they participated in an illegal serial meeting leading up to former Salem City Manager Keith Stahley’s abrupt resignation in February. 

The commission voted 5-2 with one commissioner not voting due to a conflict of interest, to initiate a full investigation into a possible prohibited serial meeting between the mayor and city councilors. The commission agreed that there was a “substantial objective basis” that Hoy and her colleagues violated state ethics rules and that an investigation is warranted. 

The councilors subject to investigation are Irvin Brown, Linda Nishioka, Shane Matthews, Deanna Gwyn, Vanessa Nordyke, Micki Varney, and Paul Tigan.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed in March by a Salem resident. 

Executive Director Susan Myers explained that a prohibited serial communication is when a quorum of a government body, in this case the Salem City Council, communicates to deliberate or decide on a matter that is within the governing body’s jurisdiction. 

In this case, members of the commission argued, the subject of the city manager was within the council’s jurisdiction. 

Commissioners on Friday considered whether the possible serial meeting was a technical violation of ethics rules that wasn’t at a level to warrant investigation or if it was a more serious offense given that the possible serial communication resulted in Stahley’s departure. 

Stahley submitted his letter of resignation in February after he was told by Council President Linda Nishioka that the mayor and a majority of the council supported his ouster.

During a non-public executive session, Hoy and her attorney, Jill Gibson, argued that Hoy didn’t have the necessary knowledge and training before she called her colleagues to discuss an unfavorable performance review of the former city manager. Gibson argued that the mayor first consulted with City Attorney Dan Atchison before reaching out to her colleagues. 

Gibson said Hoy received written instructions from Atchison encouraging her to make the phone calls to relay factual information and to discuss the audit. 

Hoy told the commission the possibility of a serial meeting can be attributed to her inexperience as a public official. She said if she had known she was committing an ethics violation, she would not have spoken to her colleagues. 

“I am truly a volunteer and not a politician. I do not have years of experience in this role and I am here to learn,” Hoy told the commission. “People like me who do not do this type of work all the time need the education and information that you can provide for us.” 

The commission will now proceed with a full investigation into the matter. If it is determined that Hoy and her colleagues engaged in a serial meeting, each will be issued a letter of education, creating a record the commission can point to in the event that a similar incident should occur in the future, Myers said during the executive session.

This is a developing story.

RELATED COVERAGE:

Records reveal Nishioka wanted to sue Hoy after Stahley resigned

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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