Justice for Waldport Statement
on the City Council Recall Elections:
July 15, 2026
While we await the official certification of the Waldport City Council recall election, the preliminary results indicate that the recalls are unlikely to succeed. Although we are disappointed by the apparent outcome, Justice for Waldport respects the electoral process and the will of the voters.
We hope the six city councilors recognize that the relatively narrow margin demonstrates that a significant portion of our community continues to have concerns about the direction of our city. In that sense, there are no real winners if our community remains divided. We encourage the council to seize this opportunity to rebuild trust by engaging openly with residents and demonstrating a genuine commitment to transparency, accountability, integrity, and ethical governance—including complete supervision and oversight of the City Manager.
Justice for Waldport did not organize these recall efforts. We endorsed the citizen-led recalls because we believed the six city councilors had repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to work collaboratively with community members or address ongoing concerns about governance, transparency, and accountability. The recalls were never our primary mission. We never intended to simply stop, regardless of the outcome, because our purpose has always been to advocate for THE PEOPLE of Waldport.
We also hope this marks the end of the repeated narrative that Mayor Heide Lambert was behind the recall efforts. Justice for Waldport and the independent Recall Committees have consistently stated that she was not involved in organizing, directing, or participating in either effort, and that remains true. Scapegoating Mayor Heide Lambert for the community's mistrust has done nothing to address the underlying issues that brought hundreds of residents together to demand greater transparency, accountability, and integrity. This false narrative has been repeatedly promoted despite the consistent public denials by both Justice for Waldport and the independent Recall Committees. In our view, it has been politically weaponized to divert attention from the underlying governance issues and to shield the City Manager from accountability. Regardless of how often it has been repeated, it has never been true.
We do not expect the City Council to supervise the speech or conduct of private citizens. We do, however, expect elected officials and city staff to hold themselves and one another accountable for promoting accurate information and to refrain from advancing or reinforcing false narratives. Public trust depends on honest leadership, even when opinions differ.
We remain concerned about the documented history and allegations involving City Council President Greg Dunn. When Justice for Waldport released the Dunn Files, our purpose was to inform the community of what we believe are legitimate public safety concerns, particularly those affecting children and families. We regret that these concerns became politicized and weaponized by the opponents of the recall rather than addressed with the seriousness they warrant. We hope the City Council will openly address these issues with the public.
As for Justice for Waldport, we will continue fulfilling the mission we set out to accomplish from the very beginning by sharing factual, documented information with the community and advocating for transparency, accountability, integrity, and ethical governance. We have also expanded our mission to provide the community with clear, factual information about potential risks to the safety and well-being of our residents and surrounding communities. If you share those values, we invite you to join our efforts. Together, we can continue working toward a city government that earns and maintains the trust of the community it serves.
On June 3, 2026, Waldport's City Recorder certified all six recall petitions. The certification letters stated that a special recall election would be held on July 14, 2026, if the councilors chose not to resign.
Following certification, each of the six councilors was given the opportunity to resign rather than proceed to a recall election. None chose to resign.
After the certification letters were issued, the Lincoln County Clerk notified the Chief Petitioner that the election date listed in the letters was incorrect. The City Recorder later acknowledged that the date included in the certification letters had been entered in error.
The special recall election, when Waldport voters will decide whether each of the six councilors should remain in office, has now been officially scheduled for:
