Milton-Freewater City Councilor Brad Humbert at the council’s meeting March 11, 2024, lets residents know accepting state grant funding for a water system project would force the city to increase its water rates. Humbert represents the city’s Ward 2 and face a challenge in his reelection to the council from Emily Holden.

MILTON-FREEWATER — An incumbent Milton-Freewater city councilor took to Facebook to call out Umatilla County Code Enforcement for what he deems is uneven treatment.

In what he considers a remonstration against excessive zoning code enforcement, Brad Humbert, who is running against Emily Holden for the Ward 2 city council position, used his reelection campaign social media to comment on the May 5 East Oregonian story about Umatilla County Position 3 Commissioner candidate Alan Heel’s arrest.

The sheriff’s office arrested Heel on May 3 for second-degree criminal trespass and third-degree theft, both misdemeanors.

The news story discussed the Hermiston resident’s multiple property violations, leading county officials to ask for a court judgment to declare Heel’s property a nuisance.

Through his official candidacy account, Humbert seemed to urge readers to take a look at the property of a specific county code enforcement employee.

“Then you’ll understand (Heel’s) frustration,” he wrote.

Humbert said on Monday, May 7, that although he had not read the court documents that accompanied the story on Heel and does not personally know the county commissioner candidate, he believed using his reelection profile was appropriate for the situation.

For starters, Heel has not had his day in court and is thus “innocent until proven guilty,” Humbert reiterated several times.

The issue closer to home, however, is a frustration that “the county has come down with a heavy hand on code enforcement,” he said.

Code violation tickets are being issued to those who can afford fines, not necessarily all violators, according to Humbert, who lives close to where the Walla Walla River goes along the edge of city limits. A frequent complaint of his — in and out of city council meetings — is the unhoused population that lives by the river and creates large and unsafe trash heaps.

Getting the county to be responsive to the situation has been unsuccessful, which Humbert attributed to the riverside inhabitants’ inability to pay a citation.

“We won’t do anything with the homeless, with the people who can’t pay,” he said. “But people who have money get the (expletive) kicked out of them to pay the bill. I am tired of it … They won’t come after the broke (expletive) who can’t pay the fine.”

Humbert said while he thinks Umatilla County commissioners generally do a “wonderful job,” the code enforcement department employees are hypocritical. In particular, one staffer who lives outside Milton-Freewater city limits (as does Heel) has more than one unsightly situation that doesn’t meet county zoning code, the councilor said.

Not that he himself is bothered, Humbert emphasized.

The East Oregonian is not naming the county employee.

“I don’t care what (their) house looks like, that’s (their) home,” Humbert said. “It’s private property. It’s not for me to say they are doing right or wrong. I’m a libertarian at heart … But if you’re going to enforce code, you better have your (expletive) wired tight.”

Humbert said he has not spoken directly with the employee he refers to in his Facebook comment, nor has he called the employee’s supervisors at the county about the employee’s property problems.

“Why should I have to?” he asked, later saying he doesn’t judge people but appreciates when people take care of their land.

“Maybe you should have your own house cleaned up before going after somebody else,” he said.

Social media’s keyboard warriors and the news media are how things get taken out of context, Humbert added.

But in this case, Humbert was the only person who commented on the post on the EO’s Facebook page.

Humbert said he did so to point out Heel has not been found guilty and shouldn’t be attacked or “bashed” on social media.

“I called out (the county employee), asking ‘Why are you going after this guy before his day in court?’ I’m going to watch the case and see where it goes. I could be wrong … Then I might look like a jackass.”

Humbert, who said he will not spend more than the $750 that would cause him to have to register his Ward 2 reelection campaign with Oregon’s Secretary of State office, takes full credit for all posts on his campaign’s social media page and all comments from that page on other accounts.

“Everything that’s on that page comes from me, personally,” he said. Everybody thinks someone is putting that stuff up for me. It’s not. It comes from me.”

Humbert said he does not take personal credit for his good works, but he gets calls for action from the community because he’s known as the man who gets things done.

“I do what’s right for the city of Milton-Freewater and the city of Milton-Freewater has boundaries,” he said. “And that’s what I try to work within.”

Humbert also shared past crimes of driving while intoxicated and stealing power from the city, both while he has been on the council.

“I’m not perfect,” he said.

Emily Holden, who’s in the race against Humbert for his city council position, said social media is an increasingly important tool for candidates.

“We should be communicating our stances on things that directly relate to our community so people can make an informed decision,” she said.

In her opinion, however, it is not the role of any city council member to officially comment on “random” articles about situations outside the ZIP code they oversee.

In this case neither property Humbert appears to be concerned about is within the city limits of Milton-Freewater, Holden added.

“It literally isn’t in the city,” she said, “and has nothing to do with him.”