Mayor Heide Lambert, a Waldport resident since 2012, was elected by the people of Waldport in November 2024. She took her oath of office on January 9, 2025. Previous positions within the city of Waldport include being elected to the city council, and on the Waldport Planning Commission. Professionally, Mayor Lambert is a project manager for Trauma Informed Oregon, in which she organizes statewide trainings for government legislatures, judges, district attorneys, court advocates, law enforcement, first responders, and most recently the Department of Early Education and Care.
Mayor Lambert was elected on the heels of a rather chaotic time within the city government. Two separate organizations were actively opposing or questioning decisions that the city manager initially made, while the city council subsequently reinforced them. Community members unaffiliated with either organization came out in droves to offer public support for these entities, by way of attending and speaking publicly at several council meetings, writing letters to the editor, and posting on social media. When Lambert was elected, many were relieved and hopeful that perhaps there would now be a more objective and discerning member of the city’s government.
Winter holiday time rolled around and the chaos quieted. Then, in January, Mayor Lambert was sworn in. She became a kind of liaison between the city government and the nonprofit association, Lincoln County Beachcomber Days (AKA: Waldport Beachcomber Days) with which the city manager had developed a troubling relationship.
People wanted to complain to the Mayor Lambert about the city manager. Subsequently, she informed them that the best way to have their grievances taken seriously by the city council would be to submit written and signed letters via the United States Post Office, either addressed to her or the city council. Many did just that.
Upon shopping in the local grocery story one day, Mayor Lambert was approached by a community member who informed her that she had sent a letter to City Hall that was addressed to her. On March 25, 2025, Mayor Lambert walked into City Hall to check her mailbox for the letter and noticed not just one, but a pile of them.
Mayor Lambert states she was perplexed when the letter she came to pick up was not among the 13 or so that were there. She reports being, being concerned when she noticed these letters had been opened and marked “Scanned.” It troubled her, significantly, because each envelope had the terms “PRIVATE” and “CONFIDENTIAL” written on them by the sender, and was specifically addressed to her. In addition, the mayor assumed the letters were formal grievances about the city manager, and she grew concerned about the breech of confidentiality that may have occurred when the letters were opened and scanned.
On this particular afternoon, the city manager and city recorder were not present. Yet, Mayor Lambert attempted to understand why the letters were treated the way they were by talking to the two city employees that were present. She states she was informed that the city manager directed one of them to scan the letters into the city’s computer and send them on to him. This very much troubled the mayor since, again, she assumed the city manager had read the confidential letters of grievance against him prior to her (the intended recipient) and the other members of the city council.
The mayor was shaken and very concerned about the situation and states she asked one of the employees to scan the letters she had in hand and then send them to her and the 6 other members of the city council. She states the employee told her she would not do as she asked, and referred her to the city manager. Yet, the city manager was not present. The mayor states she asked the employee, a second time, to simply scan and send letters to her and the 6 other members of the city council, at which time the employee said something to the effect of, “We’re done here. Talk to Dann (city manager).” The mayor then left the building.
Several days later, the mayor and the other members of the city council, received an email from the city manager indicating that there were two letters of complaint by city employees, against the mayor.
On April 3, 2025, the city council held a closed executive session to consider the two letters of complaint against Mayor Lambert. The council charged her with violation of the city charter as a result of her attempting to direct a city employee. The president of the council suggested she resign.
When she chose not to resign, Mayor Lambert opted for an “open hearing” which was held immediately following her decision. In attendance was Mayor Lambert, City Council President, Greg Dunn, council members, Susan Woodruff, Jayme Morris, Rick Booth, Michelle Severson, and Jerry Townsend. Also, in attendance were, the city manager, Dann Cutter, city recorder, Megan Torres, city attorney, Corey Blake, and a journalist. When this fiasco was concluded, all six city councilors voted to remove Mayor Lambert from her role as mayor.
Justice for Waldport contends that Mayor Lambert’s “open hearing” was at the very least anti-democratic. It upsets us that our elected mayor was treated with such disrespect just 3 months into her term. Most of what was discussed during that session was not about the violation of the charter. Rather, they discussed their negative opinions of Mayor Lambert’s manner of serving in her position, and attempted to ambush her with false narratives.
Still, it happened. Yet, at the urging of many in the community, the mayor attended the public city council meeting on April 10, 2025. The Lincoln County Sheriff and a few of his deputies were present. When the mayor sat in her seat at the council dais, the city manager, motioned to the Sheriff and his deputies, who then approached the mayor, read aloud her Miranda Rights and arrested her. Mayor Lambert was then escorted, uncuffed, outside of City Hall and, eventually given a citation for Disorderly Conduct, then allowed to return to City Hall and attend the council meeting as a member of the public.
On May 6, 2025, after reviewing and considering the April 10, 2025 arrest and subsequent citation of Mayor Lambert, Lincoln County District Attorney, Jenna Wallace, formally dropped the charges against Mayor Lambert essentially stating there was no crime committed by the mayor, that day. Two days later, Lincoln County Circuit Court Judge, Sheryl Bachart, ruled that the Waldport city council had to reinstate Mayor Lambert at least until the court could determine whether her expulsion was legal and/or constitutional.
Finally, on May 27, 2025, with Mayor Lambert abstaining, the Waldport city council unanimously voted to vacate their decision to expel the mayor and dismissed all charges of her ever violating the city’s charter. However, the city manager put out a public statement basically implying that the decision of the council was exclusively a financially based, while the council president made a social media comment stating he does not feel apologetic and thinks the council did the right thing in expelling Mayor Lambert on April 3, 2025, and that he only voted to vacate her expulsion because he expects her to be recalled.
Meanwhile, Mayor Lambert is back in her seat, serving THE PEOPLE of Waldport, and determined to bring more accountability and transparency to City Hall, just as she said she would during her campaign.
