In a controversial move that could redefine how Josephine County’s airports are managed, the Board of County Commissioners is poised to pass Order No. 2025-049, a decision that would hand over broad powers to the newly appointed Josephine County Airports Manager. If adopted, this order will delegate the authority to sign lease agreements, execute permits, and manage regulatory documents—duties previously reserved for the Board itself.
While presented under the guise of “administrative efficiency,” the implications of this delegation are far-reaching—and in our view, dangerous.
What this order essentially does is remove Board oversight from critical airport operations, creating a nearly autonomous entity led by a single individual: the Airports Manager—longtime friend of Commissioner Blech, Michael Crisafulli. Under this new directive, the Airports Manager would not only oversee day-to-day activities but also have the authority to sign binding legal documents, including lease agreements and land use applications, without prior approval from the Board. The order further grants him the power to execute memorandums of understanding (MOUs), manage operations, and enforce compliance on airport grounds—all without checks and balances from elected officials.
In effect, the Grants Pass and Illinois Valley airports would become self-governing bodies, with the manager acting independently and reporting to no one beyond his own discretion. This is not just a shift in management—it’s a total abdication of governance.
This is exactly what Commissioner Andrea’s Blech has championed since his first day in office. The airport has been Blech’s pet project, and this move would all but cement his influence indefinitely—even if he were to be recalled or removed from office in the future. By cutting the Board out of airport decisions, Blech has effectively built a political fortress around the airport, shielding it from future leadership and ensuring that his vision remains intact regardless of public opinion or election outcomes.
To make matters more concerning, the newly appointed Airport Manager—handpicked by Blech in what many believe to be a clear case of political cronyism—would answer to no one. This unelected individual would gain full control of airport operations and financial dealings, including public land leases and regulatory compliance. There would be no monthly reviews, no audits directed by the Board, and no accountability mechanism for voters. The only oversight would be self-imposed, which is to say—none at all.
Imagine a county department being given control of millions of dollars in assets, land use decisions, and strategic planning with zero external oversight. That’s what this order sets in motion.
This isn’t efficiency; it’s a power grab disguised as progress.
Supporters of the order claim it will speed up routine procedures and cut red tape, but at what cost? Transparency? Public trust? Democratic process?
The decision to delegate this much authority to a single unelected manager—especially one who was just appointed under questionable circumstances—is reckless at best, and authoritarian at worst. With mounting public concerns about accountability and political favoritism in Josephine County, the last thing we need is to create another fiefdom immune to oversight.
If the Board approves this measure, it will be establishing a dangerous precedent: that public infrastructure can be removed from democratic control and handed over to individuals who answer to no one. That should concern every citizen who values transparency, accountability, and representative government.
The people of Josephine County deserve leadership that listens, not one that abdicates responsibility. The Board must reconsider this order—not for the sake of efficiency, but for the sake of democracy.