More than a year after Salem Mayor Julie Hoy orchestrated the ouster of Salem’s former city manager, the state ethics commission is set to find she violated state law by convening a meeting to discuss city business behind closed doors. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission on Friday, April 10 , will consider a final order establishing Hoy broke six state laws when she called or spoke with councilors about then-City Manager Keith Stahley’s job performance. Hoy, like her five colleagues who participated in an illegal serial meeting last year leading up to Stahley’s resignation, would be issued a letter of education if the commission approves the order, concluding her case. According to the investigation, Hoy spoke individually about Stahley with Council President Linda Nishioka and City Councilors Vanessa Nordyke, Deanna Gwyn, Micki Varney, and Paul Tigan.  “Julie Hoy used a series of in-person, written, and telephone communications and acted as an intermediary for the purpose of a quorum of the city council deliberating or deciding on a matter within the city council’s jurisdiction,” the proposed order says. “Specifically, the purpose was to deliberate or decide on the city’s leadership audit, City Manager Keith Stahley’s performance, and whether to terminate City Manager Keith Stahley’s employment with the city.” All five councilors conceded to the violation and accepted letters from the commission, concluding their ethics cases. But Hoy refused to admit wrongdoing and would not accept a letter of education. She is currently running for a second term as mayor against Nordyke. Hoy will have 60 days after the commission issues its final order to appeal the ruling with the Oregon Court of Appeals. The mayor and her attorney, Jill Gibson, did not respond to emails sent Friday, April 3, asking for comment on the conclusion of the case and whether they planned to appeal.  The commission’s ruling would validate the narrative pieced together by a months-long state investigation which found Hoy lied to Nishioka when she told her a majority of the city council wanted Stahley out of a job following a negative performance review.  The state investigation, which began last March, found not a single city councilor indicated they believed the city manager should be fired. In October the commission concluded that she and her colleagues on the Salem City Council broke the law when they discussed Stahley’s job out of public view.  Hoy was found by the commission to have violated six laws when she participated in the convening of a meeting outside of public view, without public notice, and without taking meeting minutes or recording the meeting.  Stipulated final orders signed by Hoy’s five colleagues Deanna Gwyn: “Respondent participated in a convening of a meeting with a quorum of the Salem City Council, through serial electronic written communications and through use of Mayor Julie Hoy as an intermediary. The convening of the meeting occurred outside of public view and without compliance with the Public Meetings Law notice and meeting minutes requirements.”  Vanessa Nordyke: “Respondent participated in a convening of a meeting with a quorum of the Salem City Council, through serial electronic written communications and through the use of Mayor Julie Hoy as an intermediary. The convening of the meeting occurred outside of public view and without compliance with the Public Meetings Law notice and meeting minutes requirements.”  Linda Nishioka: “Respondent participated in a convening of a meeting with a quorum of the Salem City Council, through serial electronic written communications and use of Mayor Julie Hoy as an intermediary. The convening of the meeting occurred outside of public view and without compliance with the Public Meetings Law notice and meeting minutes requirements.”  Paul Tigan: “Respondent participated in a convening of a meeting with a quorum of the Salem City Council, through serial communications and through the use of Mayor Julie Hoy as an intermediary. The convening of the meeting occurred outside of public view and without compliance with the Public Meetings Law notice and meeting minutes requirements.”  Micki Varney: “Respondent participated in a convening of a meeting with a quorum of the Salem City Council, through serial electric written communications and the use of Mayor Julie Hoy as an intermediary. The convening of the meeting occurred outside of public view and without compliance with the Public Meetings Law notice and meeting minutes requirements.”  Throughout the nearly year-long ethics probe, Hoy has consistently maintained she did nothing wrong when she spoke individually with her colleagues on the city council to discuss the former city manager. Hoy said publicly she would not sign off on a letter because it would mean she accepted the commission’s narrative that she lied to Nishioka. She maintained that the ethics commission’s findings were erroneous, and that it was Nishioka who lied to protect herself.  The commission’s ruling centers on the fact that councilors discussed public business out of public view, not whether Hoy was truthful in her conversations with other councilors. In its final order, the commission stated that Hoy, acting as mayor, convened a quorum of the city council through a series of communications, and acted as an intermediary for deliberations on Stahley’s employment outside the public’s view.  In February, the city council voted unanimously to issue their support for a state law – House Bill 4177 – that relaxes the very public meetings law that ensnared Hoy and her five colleagues in the ethics debacle.  Oregon lawmakers passed the bill, which is awaiting Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature.  Despite Hoy’s insistence that she never lied and didn’t break the law, her version of events was at odds in several places with the commission’s findings, based on testimony from other councilors. It was those findings that informed the commission’s decision to make its final ruling.  Hoy said she never asked councilors for their positions on Stahley; commission found otherwise  What Hoy claimed:  “It may be that at some point I have to sit down with Keith (Stahley)…and ask for his resignation,” Hoy told the commission about her conversations with councilors. “I am not calling to count votes. I cannot do that. I am simply calling to make you aware that this is a possibility and we’ve got some work to do in this regard.”  “When asked by councilors how others felt I responded, I am not able to talk about conversations with other councilors.” Hoy told the commission. “I can’t even ask you how you feel about this. I simply want you to be aware.”   What the commission concluded:  “On each occasion Julie Hoy communicated with individual city councilors to share her concerns about Keith Stahley, and to ask about their positions on his performance, information was shared between members of the city council, and this information was related to a decision within the jurisdiction of the city council,” the commission’s Sept. 29 report said  Hoy said she never relayed councilor views; commission found she did  What Hoy claimed:  “In the communications with individual councilors, Mayor Hoy expressed her concerns about the audit’s findings, but she did not share her opinion regarding whether the Council should ask for Mr. Stahley’s resignation,” Hoy’s attorney Jill Gibson told the commission on Hoy’s behalf. “Also, she did not share councilors’ feelings about Mr. Stahley with other councilors, and she did not ask the individual councilors how they would vote on the issue of asking for Mr. Stahley’s resignation.” What the commission concluded:  “Julie Hoy was gathering information from city councilors that could be used by the city council to make a decision about Keith Stahely’s ongoing employment with the city. Julie Hoy weighed this information and determined that a majority of the city council was in favor of Keith Stahley’s resignation,” the commission’s report said. “Julie Hoy then shared this determination with multiple members of the city council, including Council President Linda Nishioka.”  Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected].  “My go-to source every morning for accurate, local news.” Make Salem Reporter your trusted source for independent local reporting – every day. Stay informed and connected. Subscribe today. The post Ethics commission poised to make final ruling Julie Hoy broke state meetings law appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less