Hurried Statement of Inclusivity Displeases Lake Oswego Candidate for Mayor

“Why was this sent to press???”

By Nigel Jaquiss
Downtown Lake Oswego, Oregon. (Alex Wittwer)

On Aug. 4, after a story went national about a Lake Oswego resident urging a neighbor to take down signs supporting Black Lives Matter, Lake Oswego city manager Martha Bennett hurriedly issued a statement on the city's behalf: "The city of Lake Oswego is committed to making Lake Oswego a welcoming community for everyone."

That statement displeased John LaMotte, a city councilor running for mayor in November.

"Why was this sent to press???," LaMotte wrote to Bennett in an Aug. 5 email obtained by WW. "Why the rush to judgment?"

LaMotte says he was not upset by the content of the statement but because the Lake Oswego City Council had recently approved a policy giving councilors 12 hours to review statements before public release.

"The message was just fine," LaMotte says. "I'm just a stickler for protocol."

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Nigel Jaquiss

Nigel Jaquiss

Reporter Nigel Jaquiss joined the Oregon Journalism project in 2025 after 27 years at Willamette Week.

Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.

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