Speaking truth to power. It’s not just a cliche.
It was on full display at last Monday’s City Council meeting when former Mayor Chris Hoy and two other people stood at the public comment podium, looked directly at current Mayor Julie Hoy, and called her out for the lies she told in the course of violating Oregon’s ethics law that governs public officials.
Lie #1 was Mayor Hoy telling the City Council president, Linda Nishioka, that after she’d spoken with all but one of the city councilors in private conversations that are prohibited by the Public Meetings Law, a majority of the City Council wanted Keith Stahley, the City Manager, to resign. Actually, none of the councilors wanted this; only Hoy did.
Lie #2 was Mayor Hoy telling the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that she never told Nishioka a majority of the City Council wanted Stahley to resign (which wasn’t true). The commission’s investigation found that actually Hoy did tell Nishioka this.
Chris Hoy and Julie Hoy aren’t related. But they have a strong connection.
In 2022 Julie won Chris’ Ward 6 City Council seat after Chris first ran for Mayor, which I theorized in a blog post sounded like the last name political dirty trick. After Chris Hoy became mayor, Julie Hoy was his opponent in Chris’ 2024 re-election campaign. She won. So they aren’t friends, to put it mildly.
But this doesn’t take away from the fact that what Chris Hoy said in his three-minute public comment last night was absolutely true. Have a watch.
Later in the City Council meeting, two other people used their public comment time to criticize Mayor Hoy for her lies and unethical behavior. Have a watch.
A petition calling on Mayor Julie Hoy to resign has gotten 495 signatures. Add your name, if you haven’t signed already.
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