Commissioners Appointments Result in Lost Rights to Vote
At the close of the January 11th meeting that appointed David Brock Smith as an Oregon State Senator, Commissioner Tim Freeman explained: “This is the 4th legislative appointment in 8 years that I have been involved in, and we have also appointed a clerk, a surveyor, an assessor and … a treasurer and an interim commissioner, that’s 9 elected officials appointed in a matter of 8 years. Nine elected officials that, but for one, one gentleman died and that was certainly not an intent of his own, but the others left early. They created the problem. We are here today to try to solve a problem that we did not create. I want to make sure that folks understand that.”
At the January 11th meeting, the selection by Commissioner Freeman and the other 8 commissioners led to the next two vacancies. The commissioners chose David Brock Smith, who then vacated his House seat. A month later, Court Boice (Chris Boice’s 2nd cousin) was chosen by the same commissioners to replace Brock Smith. Court Boice abstained and Coos County Commissioner Rod Taylor was the only commissioner to vote against Boice. Court Boice’s Commissioner seat was then left vacant to be filled by Jay Trost.
Previously, In the summer of 2021, a vacancy was caused by the death of House Representative Gary Lief, his seat was filled by the appointment of private citizen Christine Goodwin. She had been interim Douglas County Commissioner from Sept. 2018 through Dec. 2018.
Still earlier, In 2018, another series of vacancies had ensued when Jeff Kruse resigned on March 15, 2018. Dallas Heard was appointed to replace Senator Jeff Kruse. Douglas County Commissioner Gary Leif was appointed to replace Dallas Heard. Private citizen Christine Goodwin was appointed to fill Gary Lief’s County seat. Here again, the county commissioners “solved a problem” of 1 vacant senate seat by choosing 2 politicians that were already serving terms of office.
There is an unintended effect of using midterm commissioners as appointees to fill vacant House of Representative seats. The staggering of election cycles of the Douglas County Commissioners has shifted. Now all three seats become vacant at the same time. To solve this problem, David Brock Smith has sponsored House Bill 2244 that states “:… In a county in which the terms of the three offices of county commissioner are not staggered because two positions elected to fill midterm vacancies were extended to four-year terms, the current term of the third office of county commissioner shall be extended by two years so that the terms of the three offices are staggered”.
If this bill passes, Commissioner Tim Freeman who testified for its passage and is in Seat 2, would receive the proposed two year extension. Passage of HB 2244 would result in legislation substituting and thus circumventing the voters choice for the duration of those two years.
Appointments are frequent in the Douglas County elective positions as well. Of the 6 current elected officials in Douglas County, 4 were originally appointed and 2 were elected by the people. Sheriff John Hanlin and Treasurer Samuel Lee III are the two originally elected.
The County Clerk position that also conducts elections has had the last three clerks enter the position by appointment. (1) In 2019 Dan Loomis was appointed to replaced Patricia Hitt. (2) In 2013 Patricia Hitt replaced Barbara Nielsen. (3) In 2003 Barbara Nielsen replaced Doyle Shaver Jr. Each was later elected to the position as an incumbent.
Special elections and appointments have taken a dramatic rise in replacing elections “by the people” in recent years. A resignation from any elected office breaks a commitment to voters and narrows the field of candidates. Whether or not the vacancy is created by the resignation of an elected official, or by commissioners filling a position with another politician serving a term of office, an election “by the people” is bypassed and the voters are disenfranchised.
Editor’s Note: Corrected To reflect Commissioner Tim Freeman, who would receive the two year extension.
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