Lawsuit challenging Roats’ eligibility dropped

The months-long legal and political dispute over Bend City Councilor Casey Roats’ eligibility for office apparently is over, as the city confirmed Thursday that a lawsuit pressing the matter is being withdrawn.

Before November’s election, Bend personal-injury lawyer Phillip Ringo had gone to court, saying Roats was ineligible because he violated a city charter provision by not residing within the city for the required 12 months before the election. Roats said he had been living with his parents outside the city while his new home within the city limits was being built.

That earlier suit was dismissed by a judge who said it was premature but left the door open to it being refiled if and when he took office.

After Roats won the seat, Bend councilors were asked to review the matter and did so at a special meeting, interviewing Coats and voting 5-2 to allow him to be sworn into office. Ringo then refiled the suit on behalf of Foster Fell, a citizen activist and partner of new city Councilor Barb Campbell, also naming City Attorney Mary Winters.

Winters said the city had confirmed Thursday that Ringo filed a request with the court to dismiss the case.

Roats said he was pleased to learn that the issue had been resolved without further court action or cost to the city.

“I’m appreciative that Mr. Ringo decided to drop the case before the taxpayers incurred significant expense,” he said in a statement sent to NewsChannel 21.

“I’m confident that if a judge would have weighed in on the issue, I would have been found qualified for office,” Roats added. “I wouldn’t have continued on during the election if thought there was an even remote chance of being found ineligible.”

Winters echoed that view, saying, “We hope that this is now behind us.”