By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
WALDPORT – The chair of the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue board, who had collaborated unsuccessfully with two recently recalled board members to try to fire the district’s chief, resigned as expected Monday.
Buster Pankey, who like Todd Holt and Kathryn Menefee took office last July, submitted a one-sentence letter of resignation, effective immediately.
Holt also submitted his resignation Monday, effectively immediately.
Holt and Menefee were voted out of office in a recall election that ended June 7. But until the vote is officially certified June 29 by the Lincoln County clerk, they remain on the board — unless they resign beforehand.
It is not clear if Menefee will submit her resignation this week, or wait until the vote is officially certified.
Pankey had told some people in the community if Holt and Menefee lost the recall election he would resign.
The COCF&R board next meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
If Menefee does not resign before then and attends the meeting, she could help select a replacement for Pankey or Holt and then resign so the five-member board would still have a quorum – three members — to conduct business. The board needs to pass its fiscal 2022-23 budget by June 30.
Neither Menefee, Holt nor Pankey had been in communication with fellow board members Reda Eckerman or Kevin Battles since the last board meeting in May.
On Monday, Pankey and Holt dropped off their resignation letters at the district office.
All three declined to talk to the media, including YachatsNews, before or after the recall election.
If Menefee resigns or does not attend Thursday’s board meeting to help appoint a replacement, then Lincoln County commissioners will have to step in to appoint one board member so there is a quorum. Unless commissioners call a special meeting, they would not likely do that until their next regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday, June 22.
Eckerman and COCF&R Chief Jamie Mason said Monday that several people have indicated their interest in seeking a board appointment. They encouraged anyone interested to drop off a letter of interest at the district office. It should include their home address so they can determine if the person lives within the district.
Recalled by large margin
The final, but unofficial tally of recall votes will not be announced until 5 p.m. Tuesday. Because of changes in Oregon’s mail election law, results now dribble out over 3-5 days following the release of votes the night of the election.
As of the last count released Friday, Holt was recalled by a vote of 580 to 341. Menefee was recalled by a vote of 599 to 349.
The county clerk’s office said 99 percent of returned ballots had been counted by 5 p.m. Friday. Ballots were mailed to 3,233 voters in the fire district; turnout as of Friday night was 30.66 percent.
Holt and Menefee were elected to the COCF&R board in May 2021 and took office last July. After three quiet months, they and Pankey starting clashing with Mason over projects, personnel and an intergovernmental agreement with the Seal Rock Fire District.
After a fiery meeting last September, public board actions quieted considerably until March when Pankey, Holt and Menefee led a board executive session where they wanted to fire Mason, but backed off at the last minute.
That was two months after former board member Peter Carlich filed petitions with the county to start collecting signatures to recall Holt and Menefee.
Meetings have been short and quiet since March – and the three new board members did not attend the May 12 meeting of the 10-member budget committee.
The district’s six paid firefighters and its 12 volunteers issued a vote of “no confidence” in Pankey, Holt and Menefee in April. After ballots were mailed they told YachatsNews they planned to resign if the two survive the recall election and join with Pankey to dismiss Mason.
Near the end of the election, Eckerman said she too would resign if Holt and Menefee were not voted out.
As was their reasoning with Menefee and Pankey (conflict of interest): Dunn is the city council president; Eckerman is employed by the city as the city recorder. Pick one funded by taxpayers. Make room for new faces and fresh change. The stagnant stance is old and non-productive.