John Day voters appear to recall mayor

Early results show that residents in John Day have voted to recall their mayor just a year after she took office. A group of citizens and city employees moved to begin the recall process after filing a criminal complaint against Mayor Heather Rookstool last fall. Both the complaint and the recall petition allege that Rookstool overstepped the legal role of her office by taking on duties belonging to the city manager. The recall went to a vote this month after Rookstool refused to resign in December. 

Antonio Sierra is OPB’s rural communities reporter. He joins us with more details on the recall effort and what comes next for the city.