To the incoming Board of Josephine County Commissioners,
Our county and city are in serious need of healing. This letter is written for one purpose: to urge Mr. Smith and Mr. Barnett, as the newly elected County Commissioners, to be very conscientious and careful about the welfare of our entire county’s population when choosing a replacement for the 3rd Commissioner’s seat. You have clear evidence of the people’s wishes from the November 2024 vote.
Mr. Smith, Pat Fahey received over 46.4% of the vote—more than 23,000 citizen voices—compared to your 53.16%. By no means could anyone call this a “landslide” victory. Do you care about those 23,000+ citizens?
Mr. Barnett, Colene Martin received over 44% of the vote, while you garnered 54.85%. This difference represents more than 22,000 citizen voices. Do you care about those 22,000+ citizens?
A question to each of you: Are you wise and brave enough to work toward ending the current “cronyism” that influenced this election? Let us remind you of the definition of “cronyism”—“The appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.”
You were elected to represent the people’s voices. That means not only representing the voters who supported you but also those who supported other candidates; ALL the people’s voices!
Your seats are nonpartisan, yet the organization across the street from the Courthouse used their influence to get you elected. They do not represent our conservative points of view, and you owe them nothing!
Do you have the wisdom, courage, conscience, and concern for your community to stand up for what is right and appoint a candidate who came so very close to you in the election? That action alone could go a long way toward healing our community and may even earn you some trust in the process. We strongly recommend either Colene Martin or Pat Fahey for the 3rd Commissioner’s seat.
Sincerely,
Virgil and Charlyn Witcher
