Betsy Vega will represent northeast Salem on the City Council after all.

City Recorder Amy Johnson ruled July 7 that the Ward 6 councilor-elect meets residency requirements under both the Salem City Charter and the Oregon Constitution.

The determination resolves an eligibility challenge that questioned whether Vega's period of homelessness during the election disqualified her from the seat she won.

Johnson based her decision on a recommendation from Truman A. Stone, a Eugene-based municipal law attorney the city hired to conduct an independent review. Stone found "no convincing evidence of ineligibility," concluding that Vega never established a new residence outside Ward 6 while she was without stable housing.

The eligibility complaint came from the campaign of Paige Barton, Vega's opponent in the Ward 6 race. Barton's campaign argued Vega's housing situation raised questions about whether she still legally resided in the northeast Salem ward she sought to represent.

Rather than making the determination internally, the city brought in outside counsel to ensure an impartial review.

The ruling carries two immediate consequences for voters in northeast Salem. There will be no new election for the Ward 6 seat. And Vega remains the sole candidate on November's general election ballot, meaning she will run unopposed.

Had Johnson found Vega ineligible, the city would have needed to reopen the race and potentially delay representation for the ward.

Available public records do not specify when Vega will be sworn in or officially take her seat. The Salem City Council next meets Monday, July 14, at 6 p.m. in Loucks Auditorium at Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty St. SE.