Ocean Shores City Council Member Richard Wills successfully defended against a recall petition filed in Grays Harbor County Superior Court. The petition, initiated by Jennifer Herboldsheimer, alleged violations of the citys ethics code and interference with the council’s vacancy appointment process by Wills. Wills lawyer, Jeffrey Myers successfully argued that his (councilman Wills) words, whether one would find it uncomfortable or not, do not rise to misfeasance. Superior Court Judge Katherine Svoboda dismissed the recall effort, citing "insufficient evidence" per RCW 29A.56.110.
In a very tight race just five months ago, Richard Wills secured his seat on the Ocean Shores City Council by a single vote. Now, fast-forward 5 months and his former competitor, PJ Faria recently vied for an open seat (against 7 others) on the council through an appointment process. Though picking Faria for the open seat seemed like an easy decision, the appointment turned out to be a head-scratcher for many onlookers. Councilman Will recused himself from this vote.
The controversy began when Wills was accused of improperly influencing the selection process for a vacant city council seat, suggesting to an applicant that another candidate, Denise Siers, was likely to win the council's favor, discouraging that candidate from entering the race. This action led to a formal complaint and the recall process initiated by Herboldsheimer, who argued that Wills conduct was an abuse of his official duties as a councilmember.
Despite these allegations, Judge Svoboda's ruling indicated that the evidence presented did not meet the legal threshold required to proceed with a recall. She said such an effort is a very high bar. However, Svoboda applauded Herboldsheimer's undertaking as an honest appeal as a citizen. The People are the gatekeepers of self-governance, and it should always be applauded when a citizen boldly steps up to petition the government for redress of grievances.