Last month, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) terminated all three budget committee members, allegedly because “they all thought the same.” While the board needed to stagger terms, they could have simply let current terms expire in November or asked for volunteers to accept one, two, or three-year seats. Instead, by dissolving the committee entirely, the BCC violated ORS 294.414, ignoring established state statutes.
The board claims to want “diverse thinking,” which explains their appointment of Dorothy Yetter, the former chair of the local Democratic Party. However, the signs of a liberal-leaning BCC are becoming undeniable:
- Rising rates and new tax increases sent to the ballot.
- Government expansion without the necessary resources to manage the growth.
According to the Daily Courier (5/6/26), the BCC recently reappointed Marc Kirby to a three-year term, while the new seats went to Chris Collins (two-year term) and Dorothy Yetter (one-year term).
