We, the concerned residents and community members of Central Oregon, call for the removal of Bend City Manager Eric King due to his ineffective leadership, marginalization of Bend residents, and his actions related to the City’s former Equity Director. These actions demonstrate retaliation, misuse of authority, and a failure to uphold the principles of equity, transparency, and ethical leadership.

Specifically, the most serious concerns include:

A concentration of power that has resulted in City policies and practices disproportionately favoring wealthy interests, while placing greater stress on our working class neighbors, small business owners, and community organizations. 

A pattern of marginalizing Bend residents, such as local business owners, nonprofit organizations, and community members. This marginalization has impacted public trust, harmed local economic development, affected affordable housing development, and undermined the City’s commitments to equity and shared governance. Marginalization occurs when a person or group is pushed to the edges of our society, barred from decision making, denied access to resources, opportunities, or consideration. 

Engaging in efforts to undermine the former Equity Director’s actions and decisions, including interference that destabilized equity-focused work under the Equity Director’s leadership, such as disruptions to funding and established processes.

A lack of transparency and accountability surrounding the Equity Director’s departure, raising serious concerns of retaliation for raising racial equity issues within the City.

Failure to provide legally required documents and information in response to public records requests submitted by media outlets.

These actions set a dangerous precedent: that City leadership may marginalize, discredit, and silence both leadership and the community, rather than address systemic issues in good faith. 

City Council has both the authority and the responsibility to act when the City Manager’s conduct compromises ethical governance and public confidence.

We therefore demand that the Bend City Council:

Remove Eric King from the position of City Manager. He has held his position across multiple administrations, even prior to the City of Bend’s shift to having an elected mayor. As a result, the role of City Manager has become more of a centralized authority. King has been running the City like a corporation rather than a democratic city government.

Ensure that the next City Manager is selected through a hiring process led by a diverse and representative panel of interviewers, including community voices and individuals with lived experience in equity and racial justice work.

Establish a term limit for the City Manager position to prevent the concentration of power and to promote accountability, transparency, and regular leadership review.

Commit to independent and transparent accountability processes, consistent with the commitments outlined in the many proclamations signed by the City of Bend.

Take meaningful steps to protect City staff from retaliation and to restore trust in the City’s equity work.

Bend deserves leadership that supports, not punishes, those tasked with advancing equity, growth, and opportunity for all Bend residents, business owners, and organization leaders.

Signed,

Concerned residents and community members of Bend, Oregon, and Deschutes County.

Context:

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/31/bend-equity-director-resignation/

https://bendbulletin.com/2025/10/31/former-bend-equity-director-received-86000-payout-alleges-discrimination/

https://www.bendsource.com/news/localnews/implausible-inconsistent-and-unsubstantiated-by-evidence/

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/18/bend-investigation-discredits-claims-racial-discrimination/