The events of April 3, 2025, when six members of the Waldport City Council unanimously voted to remove Mayor Heide Lambert from the office to which she had been duly elected, prompted the formation of Justice for Waldport and led us to closely examine the City's governing documents. In our view, the City Charter, along with the Waldport City Council Rules, was misapplied to justify a unilateral action that was later overturned by the Lincoln County Circuit Court. As we continued our review, we were concerned to learn that the Charter had not undergone a formal comprehensive review or revision since May 21, 1996. We also reviewed the City Council Rules, which were last revised on January 8, 2015. We urged the City Council to establish a Charter Review Committee so the Charter could be modernized, clarified, and better aligned with current law and sound governance practices.

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Fifteen months later, the City Council has taken no formal action to establish a Charter Review Committee. We remain concerned that portions of both the Charter and the City Council Rules continue to be interpreted and applied in ways that, in our opinion, are inconsistent with their intended purpose and with the principles of transparency, accountability, and government integrity. We also believe these governing documents continue to be cited in ways that have influenced public understanding of important issues affecting the City's governance and management, including matters related to the current recall election. For these reasons, we encourage every resident to review these documents for themselves and draw their own informed conclusions.

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In the interest of transparency and public access, we have provided the current official version of the Waldport City Charter—the version in effect and relied upon by the City as of July 8, 2026—for anyone to review. Although this Charter has not undergone a formal comprehensive review or revision since May 21, 1996, it remains the governing document used by the City today. We encourage every resident to read the document for themselves and become familiar with the framework that governs our local government. Click the PDF file below to view or download the Charter.