The Josephine County Board of Commissioners has once again turned a critical civic issue into a spectacle. On Tuesday, October 14, the board’s workshop agenda revealed a sudden discussion of county-owned real property at 1798 SE N Street — a parcel across the street to an elementary school — with clear indications it is being eyed for use as a homeless services site. This latest maneuver comes during a growing storm surrounding the City of Grants Pass’s handling of its Addressing Homelessness Grant, and it highlights how county leadership seems poised to sidestep established processes while simultaneously insulating themselves from public backlash.
The N Street property issue is being layered on top of a grant process already riddled with procedural violations, inconsistent disclosures, and political entanglements. The City of Grants Pass reissued its homelessness grant in early September with strict no-contact rules designed to ensure fairness. Those rules have now been called into question after evidence emerged of prohibited communications between applicant Jeromy Ford of Pathways to Stability and city officials, including the mayor, during the blackout period. Public records, emails, and statements made during a county workshop indicate that discussions about exclusion zones and site planning occurred well before the process was complete — discussions that were supposed to be off-limits.
Instead of demanding clarity, the county commissioners appear to be charging ahead, entertaining property decisions that could predetermine the outcome of the city’s grant selection. By introducing county real property across the street to a school into the conversation at this stage, they are effectively inserting themselves into the city’s jurisdiction, blurring lines of responsibility in a way that benefits political alliances rather than the public good. This is especially concerning because, under Oregon law and local practice, homelessness program administration is primarily a city responsibility.
Compounding the absurdity is a simultaneous move by the commissioners to consider a “clear bag policy” for public meetings — a security measure that feels less like prudent governance and more like a reaction to the growing frustration they themselves have provoked. When leadership creates controversy through opaque decision-making, it’s hardly surprising that tensions rise. Rather than addressing the root causes of public distrust, the board appears more interested in controlling the optics and tightening the environment around public participation.
The pattern is familiar. Over the past several years, attempts to address homelessness in Grants Pass have repeatedly devolved into legal disputes, political gamesmanship, and administrative breakdowns. The city faced national scrutiny over its camping ordinances in a Supreme Court case. The county often stood back, disclaiming operational responsibility. Now, instead of a coordinated approach, residents are witnessing another round of fragmented leadership, rushed property considerations, and a growing sense that major decisions are being made without meaningful public involvement.
This is why Thursday’s upcoming WBS meeting matters. Whether residents support or oppose the N Street proposal, their voices are needed now. Decisions involving public property, proximity to schools, and the allocation of over a million dollars in grant funds should not happen in a vacuum. Public testimony and scrutiny are the only tools available to counterbalance the inertia of backroom dealings and political favoritism.
The residents of Josephine County deserve governance that is transparent, deliberate, and accountable. Instead, they are being treated to yet another sideshow — a spectacle staged by leaders who seem more concerned with control than with solutions. If the public doesn’t show up and speak out, the decisions will be made for them, behind closed doors, with long-term consequences for neighborhoods and schools. The circus is in town, and it’s playing out in the chambers of local government.