Clackamas County commissioners got an earful at a packed public meeting on Thursday.

Members of the public called for the resignation of a county commissioner who faces criminal charges. Public employees chastised county leaders over ongoing contract negotiations with its largest union.

The board voted unanimously to temporarily suspend pay for the newly-elected commissioner, Melissa Fireside. She was indicted on eight felony counts for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from an 83-year-old man and forging the signature of a state representative, April Dobson, a local Democrat.

“If she is taking a leave, it should be a leave without pay, because we need all five of us up here at the dais to do the work,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader, a Democrat who voted to suspend Fireside’s pay, joining the county’s Republican board members.

Clackamas County labor conflict brings threat of public employee walkout

The meeting comes one day after the Oregon Department of Justice announced the indictment against Fireside, a Democrat who was arraigned on charges that included first-degree aggravated theft, forgery and identity theft. She has pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, negotiations with the Clackamas County Employees’ Association, which represents more than 1,000 employees, have soured. The union has accused the county of using “bullying tactics” during negotiations, particularly after members’ monthly insurance premiums increased by more than $200 when they did not reach a contract by year’s end. The county says it has bargained fairly.

Alex Gonzalez, the union’s president, told OPB Wednesday that members are signing strike pledges.

“We’re doing our best to avoid a potential strike that could affect services across Clackamas County, but our members continue to feel slighted by these actions being taken,” Gonzalez told commissioners at Thursday’s meeting.

Though unrelated, the two issues prompted a lengthy series of impassioned public comments that signaled distrust with county leaders. The meeting could portend a difficult road ahead for the county’s newly-elected chair, Craig Roberts. He was attending a conference in Washington D.C. and was not at the meeting on Thursday.

Commissioners’ criminal charges

During the meeting, several people called on Fireside to resign, saying the allegations harm the public’s trust with the board. Among them was Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West, a Republican who has criticized Fireside.

“She has now put the trust of this board with the public in jeopardy,” said West, who made the motion to suspend Fireside’s pay while the commissioner’s leave status is reviewed by the county’s legal counsel.

“I call for her formal resignation swiftly and immediately,” said West. “Now.”

Clackamas County Commissioner indicted on 8 felony counts

Fireside’s attorney declined to comment Thursday.

Some people who attended the meeting said the board should replace Fireside with Mark Shull, a former commissioner who lost his reelection bid to Fireside in November. A Republican, Shull made headlines when colleagues on the Clackamas County board unanimously censured Shull days into his political tenure and called for his resignation following a series of Islamophobic posts he made on Facebook. He faced further backlash for comparing vaccine paperwork to Jim Crow laws.

Residents at Thursday’s meeting compared the situation to what they see as corruption and waste being rooted out by the Trump administration, even invoking Hunter Biden’s laptop.

“This situation stinks worse than a warehouse full of curing marijuana,” said Stephen Hunter, a Wilsonville resident.

Clackamas County commission votes for one of its members to resign

They accused commissioners — without providing evidence — of knowing about the investigation prior to the election. One person in the audience held up a sign that read, “Who Knew What & When.”

“We didn’t know very much,” said Commissioner Paul Savas, a Republican. “As a matter of fact, I learned a lot yesterday. And I think it’s fair to say that probably most everyone on this dais today and recently probably had no idea of the magnitude of these charges. I had no idea.”

Fireside is accused of accessing a computer and stealing from Arthur Wayne Petrone. The alleged crimes occurred between Sept. 16, 2024, and Jan. 13, 2025, according to court records. The county announced Thursday that she was taking a leave of absence.

Schrader described the allegations as serious.

“We have to go through the process,” Schrader said. “Things seem dire. We will find out as the process moves forward whether commissioner Fireside is guilty or innocent.”

Union negotiations

In between comments about Fireside, members of the county’s largest union spoke to commissioners about their frustrations with contract negotiations.

The conflict largely began in late December, when the county informed union members that it had to increase health insurance premiums because a contract agreement wasn’t reached before the end of the year. The union says this gave members just two days before the county began docking more than $200 each month from their paychecks.

Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull faces backlash after comparing vaccine passports to Jim Crow laws

Union members said Thursday that they have had to take out loans and get second jobs to pay for the increased premiums. A large group of them packed into the meeting, wearing matching blue and red shirts and cheering when members spoke to the board.

“I just feel like you have not been listening,” said Natalie Luttmer, a county employee who has brought her concerns to commissioners seven times.

“Make this a priority,” said Luttmer. “These things need to be fixed now.”

Schrader noted that the county intends to reimburse employees for the health care payments when the contract is reached.

“I’m hopeful everything will be solved soon and that the valuable employees here in this county will feel as if they are treated fairly and be back and continue to do their good work,” said Schrader.

The county and the union have each submitted their final offers and have a mediation scheduled for March 18.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/06/clackamas-county-commissioner-criminal-case-union/