FILE - Melissa Fireside ousted an incumbent Clackamas County commissioner, Mark Shull, in November. She was indicted on numerous felony theft charges weeks after taking office.
Courtesy of the Fireside campaign
Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside, who faces felony charges of theft and forgery, resigned Friday.
Craig Roberts, the chair of the county’s Board of Commissioners, announced her resignation in a statement.
“After learning of the indictment, I personally called Commissioner Fireside and asked for her resignation,” Roberts said. He said she submitted her resignation in writing, effective March 7.
Fireside’s resignation comes two days after the Oregon Department of Justice announced the charges against her. She is accused of stealing $30,000 from an 83-year-old man and forging the signature of a state Rep. April Dobson, a Democrat who represents parts of Clackamas County.
Fireside, a Democrat who was just elected to the county’s board in November, has pleaded not guilty and has yet to comment on the criminal charges. She was arraigned Wednesday in the Clackamas County Circuit Court.
“I recognize that for many, this decision is not soon enough, and I know how difficult and upsetting this situation has been for our community, and I want to thank you for making your voices heard,” said Roberts, the county’s newly elected chair who was in Washington, D.C., at a conference this week.
Roberts said the board of commissioners remains committed to doing its job and moving forward.
“I have asked the County Administrator to begin the process of filling a vacant commissioner position, starting with the creation of a dedicated webpage outlining the replacement process and the next steps,” Robert’s statement read.
Fireside did not immediately respond Friday to an email and a phone call to her consulting firm. Her attorney, Mark Cogan, also did not return an email from OPB, though he previously declined OPB’s request for comment.
Earlier this week, Dobson issued a statement to news outlets, saying Fireside requested financial help from her last summer. The lawmaker said she drew up a contract for a loan “to support a single mother of a young child during a tough time.”
Dobson, who also was just elected to public office, said Fireside abided by the contract and paid her back within a month. But in November, police contacted Dobson because there was “an issue with the source of the money Melissa Fireside used to pay me back,” she said.
“I did not hesitate to share all the information I had to help the detectives with their investigation,” said Dobson, who called for Fireside’s resignation this week. “I have not been in contact with Melissa since learning about her alleged crimes.”
Fireside is accused of accessing a computer and defrauding Arthur Wayne Petrone, 83, of tens of thousands of dollars, according to court records. The alleged crimes occurred between Sept. 16, 2024, and Jan. 13, 2025, authorities say.
The phone number listed for Petrone was disconnected and efforts to reach him on Friday failed.
The Lake Oswego Police Department spent months investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Fireside’s resignation follows mounting pressure from members of the public and at least one commissioner, Ben West, a Republican. The board of commissioners moved Thursday to suspend Fireside’s pay while her leave status is reviewed by the county’s legal counsel.
“I am ready to get back to focusing on the important work that the county needs to do,” West told OPB Friday. He called the situation a “distraction,” adding, “I look forward to it being in the rearview mirror.”
“This does help the county regain trust with the voters again and with our constituents,” West said.
Fireside’s indictment prompted calls from some members of the public on Thursday to replace her with former Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull, a Republican.
Shull, who lost his reelection bid to Fireside in November, previously made headlines when county commissioners censured him and called for his resignation following a series of Islamophobic posts he made on Facebook. He also sparked controversy over statements comparing vaccine paperwork to Jim Crow laws.
Fireside’s next hearing is scheduled for April 28.
Correction: A earlier version of this article had the incorrect last name for Commissioner Ben West. OPB regrets the error.
