Dear Editor and Residents of Josephine County,
As a resident of Josephine County who cares deeply about the integrity of our local government, I respectfully submit this letter anonymously, not out of cowardice but out of genuine fear of retaliation in a climate where speaking the truth has become increasingly dangerous. What is unfolding right now within our county government demands immediate public attention, because the Board of County Commissioners is advancing a commissioner appointment process that is not merely irregular but flatly illegal under both the Josephine County Home Rule Charter and Oregon state law.
The county is currently accepting applications to fill a commissioner seat despite the fact that no vacancy exists. This is not a matter of interpretation or political perspective but a direct conflict with the very laws that govern how vacancies must be created and how appointments must proceed. Under our Charter, a commissioner’s seat becomes vacant only if a written resignation is submitted, a recall election removes the commissioner from office, the commissioner dies, the commissioner relocates outside the district, the commissioner is convicted of a felony, or the commissioner becomes legally ineligible. None of these conditions apply today. Without a vacancy, there is nothing to fill, and without a vacancy there is no legal authority to open an application process. That makes the current call for applicants an action with no standing, no justification, and no legal ground beneath it.
The Charter requires a strict sequence that cannot be altered or bypassed. A vacancy must exist first. Only after that may an official notice be published. Only then may applications be solicited, reviewed, and considered. When the first step is missing, all subsequent steps are prohibited. The county has ignored this requirement entirely, creating a situation where the application link now circulating is invalid and unlawful from the moment it appeared.
Oregon’s public meetings laws make the matter even more serious. A governing body may deliberate only on matters for which it has legal authority. Without a lawful vacancy, the Board has no authority to discuss replacements, solicit applicants, schedule interviews, or consider appointments. Any such deliberation is a violation of Oregon law. What happened during the most recent administrative session suggests that the Board is already engaging in discussions that they have no right to undertake, and that alone places the county in legal jeopardy.
There is an additional and deeply troubling reality that the public deserves to understand. Two commissioners are currently facing an active recall election. Oregon ethics law requires public officials to refrain from participating in decisions in which they have a personal interest. It is difficult to imagine a more obvious personal interest than selecting the person who could replace you, influence your political future, or shift the balance of power on the Board. Yet these same commissioners have been participating in conversations and actions related to the appointment process. Their involvement is not simply inappropriate. It directly conflicts with the ethical rules they are sworn to uphold.
This situation becomes even more alarming when considering the personal information applicants are being asked to provide. The county is collecting home addresses, phone numbers, emails, employment history, and other private identifiers through a process that has no legal authorization to exist. Under Oregon public records law, such information may only be accessed by officials who have clear and lawful authority to review it. That authority does not exist at this time, and those currently reviewing or preparing to review applications may themselves be committing an unlawful act. The county must halt this process immediately to prevent further mishandling of private information.
Josephine County has long deserved better governance than what we are seeing today. Even those who support the current commissioners should demand that they follow the rules. The law is not optional. The Charter is not optional. Recall procedures are not optional. Ethics rules are not optional. Nothing about this is complicated unless those in power prefer it to be.
The only appropriate path forward is for the county to remove the application link, suspend all discussions related to any appointment, and wait until a lawful vacancy actually exists. Anything less leaves the county vulnerable to litigation, undermines public trust, and further erodes confidence in a system already strained by division and controversy.
I write this with a heavy heart and with sincere hope that our community will pay attention to what is being done in our name. I remain anonymous because the environment at present does not feel safe for honest dissent. But anonymity does not diminish truth, and the truth is that Josephine County is stepping into unlawful territory with full awareness of what the law requires. Our neighbors deserve to know, and our leaders must be held accountable.
A Concerned Citizen of Josephine County