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PENDLETON — Retiring Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock continues to advocate residents should have a vote on the question of hiring a county manager.

“The three sitting commissioners have three different opinions on the subject,” Murdock said. “Board Chair John Shafer is adamantly opposed. Commissioner Dan Dorran is adamantly in favor. I am only interested in honoring a year-and-a-half of work by the Charter Review Committee by suggesting the matter is of sufficient importance it should be decided by the voters.”

With the election of at least one new commissioner looming Nov. 8, if Umatilla County should hire a manager is a question for sitting and new board members.

Shafer at the board’s meeting Sept. 21 denied a motion to continue the county manager conversation, raising the possibility of putting the matter to bed until 2023, when the makeup of the board changes.

HollyJo Beers of Pendleton opposes Shafer in his run for reelection. Either Susan Bower of Pendleton or Cindy Timmons of Milton-Freewater will succeed Murdock.

Beers is against hiring a county manager.

“It’s another level of government,” she said. “It’s not an elected position. Elected commissioners are more responsive to the people. It becomes in effect the highest executive in the county, yet doesn’t represent the voters. Besides, three heads are better than one, especially when the one is not accountable to the people.”

Beers, however, added the question should go to a vote of the people.

“That’s the right thing to do if the charter is to be amended,” she said.

Bowers spoke against the idea at the Sept. 21 board meeting, adding the suggestion of enacting requirements to run for commissioner, as for sheriff. She has worked as a consultant for the county .

“We elect county commissioners to have a very big job,” she said. “No. 1 is administration. No. 2 is constituent service. I favor a flat structure. We don’t need to add more layers of management, with decision makers farther from their constituents nor as in touch with front line staff.”

Bowers emphasized a county manager would put a barrier between the people and the leadership of the county, and she did not see a need for it.

“The last three administrations have been excellent, with the necessary skill sets and experience,” she concluded.

Timmons, too, is opposed to hiring a manager, but she added “never say never.” She said it’s important to recognize the work of the charter committee and the enormous amount of time spent on it.

“They recommended that it be looked into,” she said. “They emphasized the continuity of the position. But in talking to commissioners, I realized you just can’t argue with the cost, and it’s an added layer of government.”

Timmons estimated the basic cost of a county manager at $200,000 per year, based upon her conversations with commissioners.

“Then add one to two assistants, then around 30% for benefits to the cost,” she concluded. “So for now it’s no.”

Commissioner Shafer has been clear about where he stands on the proposal,.

“I go back to when 2019, when we received the recommendation from the Charter Review Committee to put a manager on the ballot,” he said. “Commissioner Elfering and I voted no. We were against the recommendation, with the caveat that it could be revisited. We met all our obligations, including meeting with a county manager from the Portland area. Commissioner Dorran wanted to bring it up again.”

Shafer pointed out the next charter review committee could raise the issue anew. However, his opinion remains there is no need for a manager.

“The board is doing a great job,” he said. “A manager is not in the mix.”

Dorran favors the proposal because an administrator could help lift the burden of day-to-day operations, letting commissioners concentrate on the big picture.

“Umatilla County deserves a board focussed full time on strategic planning,” he argued. “The commissioners would still have direct liaison with each of the departments. I prefer the term administrator to manager.”

Like Shafer, he said the charter review committee could revisit the issue.

“I’m just extremely disappointed the public didn’t get notice to comment,” he said of the last board meeting. “One side had public notice and the other side did not.”

Murdock said he regretted voters were denied the opportunity to decide the issue.

“Every four years the county is required to form a charter review committee,” he said. “The last committee recommended that the county needs to consider hiring a manager. This was a duly formed citizens committee, and I believe we owe it to the integrity of the process to bring it to a vote of our citizens.”

This idea is important to the way the county is managed, Murdock explained. So the residents need to make the decision how they want business to be conducted.

“I suspect that one of the considerations in the process will be the subject of access to elected officials versus access to a manager,” he said. “In the interest of transparency, voters will also probably want to know the cost implications of such a move. On the other hand, voters will be considering the value of a professional county manager versus management by the commissioners. That’s not for me to decide.”

Murdoch estimated a manager might cost somewhere around $350,000 annually, with salaries and office staff.

The discussion of a county manager could be a topic at any of the several upcoming county commissioner candidate forums.

Umatilla County seeks applications for nomination to the Umatilla County Charter Review Committee. The county board plans to appoint five or more residents to the committee, representing all areas of the county.

The charter review process is scheduled to begin later in 2022 or early 2023. Appointment requires attendance at regular meetings, which may occur over the course of up to a year. Applications should be submitted by Nov. 1.

Interested Umatilla County residents should complete an application and return it to Douglas Olsen, county counsel, 216 S.E. Fourth St., Pendleton, or by email to doug.olsen@umatillacounty.gov. Contact 541-278-6208 with any questions.

The following are free to the public:

• Thursday, Oct. 6, 7-8 p.m. at the Vert Club Room, 480 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.

American Association of University Women and East Oregonian host the event.

•Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7-9 p.m. at Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton.

Umatilla County Board Of Realtors is holding the event, which will focus on the local housing market.

• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Armand Larive Middle School, 1497 S.W. Ninth St., Hermiston.

Umatilla County Republicans is sponsoring the event.

— Editor’s note: The East Oregonian updated this to correct the location for the forum Thursday, Oct. 6.