By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
Update: Mayoral candidate John Bickerstaff declined to comment on Williamson’s felony record and candidacy.
A Piedmont mayoral candidate with a felony record will not be disqualified from the race, the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette learned today.
The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette received a tip Thursday night that Acting Mayor Bobby Williamson has a felony record.
Canadian County Election Board records show that Williamson disclosed he was convicted of second-degree manslaughter on April 1, 1987 in Clamackas County, Oregon.
The Oregon State Department of Corrections shows Williamson was given five years of probation and a five-year suspended sentence for the manslaughter conviction. Records regarding the incident were not available at the Clamackas County courthouse and a request for records detailing the felony case with the Clamackas County County Sheriff’s Office had not been fulfilled late Friday.
Nearly 32 years later with four days before the election, citizens were in an uproar on social media Friday morning. By the afternoon, all the posts had been taken down, but campaign messages for the candidate were still visible.
However, City Manager Jason Orr said neither he nor city staff were aware Williamson has a felony record.
“We reviewed the city charter and state statutes and didn’t find anything that would make him ineligible to become mayor,” Orr said. “I found out this morning.”
The city charter states that “if a council member is convicted of a felony, his office shall become vacant immediately upon conviction,” but it does not address previous criminal convictions.
Williamson’s cell phone and work phone were turned off and he could not be reached for comment.
Mayoral candidate Kurt Mayabb said transparency is part of the political process.
“I have seen the information. We all have a past and I knew our lives were going to be put on display when we signed up for this race,” Mayabb said. “The public will make their own opinions on this situation. At this time, that’s all I have to comment.”
A call to mayoral candidate John Bickerstaff was not returned late Friday.
