JOHN DAY — A recall campaign has been launched against John Day Mayor Heather Rookstool by a city employee.

Oren Wyss, the operator of the John Day wastewater treatment plant, filed a recall petition at City Hall on Friday, Oct. 27, he told the Blue Mountain Eagle.

The recall petition accuses Rookstool of dishonesty and a lack of transparency and claims she is not acting in the best interests of John Day, city staff or residents. The petition also accuses Rookstool of disregarding her oath of office and the city charter, as well as putting the city’s services at risk.

Rookstool said the recall effort was motivated by political and personal enmity.

Wyss launched his recall campaign a little over a month after a group of local residents filed a criminal complaint alleging that Rookstool has overstepped her authority both as the mayor of John Day and as a city manager designee able to perform city manager duties.

The complaint accuses Rookstool of being dishonest in communications with the John Day City Council and claims she altered documents to give herself broad city manager authority, which she then used to violate the city charter and multiple Oregon laws. The complaint was signed by 26 John Day residents, including former City Manager Nick Green, former City Councilors Katrina Randleas, Greg Haberly and Shannon Adair, Fire Chief Don Gabbard and Public Works Director Casey Myers.

The complaint called for an investigation of Rookstool by either the Oregon Department of Justice or the Oregon State Police, but neither agency has been very forthcoming about its intentions.

Department of Justice spokesman Roy Kaufmann said the DOJ has received the complaint and it is currently under review.

The Oregon State Police have not responded to inquiries about whether they intend to investigate the complaint.

As for the recall petition, it’s not entirely clear what will happen next.

Normally, a city manager would handle the logistics of a recall effort against the mayor, but the absence of a city manager means there is nobody currently working for the city who can act as an elections official for the recall effort.

As a result, the city council will need to give somebody the authority act as an elections official to approve the petition and signature sheet for circulation. Grant County Clerk Brenda Percy will then verify the signatures and an election would be held 35 days later if the signature threshold is met.

According to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website, the required number of signatures is 15% of the votes cast for governor in the public officer’s district during the last election in which a candidate for Governor was elected to a full term. Wyss has 90 days to gather enough valid signatures to get a recall election on the ballot.

Wyss said the reason he filed the recall petition is because there has been very little movement from the state on the criminal complaint against Rookstool.

“(With) the lack of response, I doubt if they’re going to do anything,” he said.

The city has hired a new manager who is expected to start work early next year, but Wyss said he doesn’t think that alone will solve the issue of Rookstool’s conduct.

“No,” he said. “She lies so much of the time.”

Rookstool was also critical of the complaint filed against her by citizens of John Day.

“I’ve never seen any evidence supporting this complaint,” she said.

Regarding the complaint’s lack of movement within the justice system, Rookstool said she’s not to blame for any lack of action.

“I have no control over anybody at the DOJ, OSP, county court or sheriff’s office,” she said. “If they decline to interview, that has nothing to do with me.”

Speaking about the recall petition, Rookstool said the drive is largely due to a personal vendetta some individuals have with her.

“The recall is personal and it’s political,” she said. “I can’t defend myself against anything contained in the recall because it’s all personal opinion.”