Clackamas County Commissioner
Budget
I will continue to make motions to eliminate anything out of the county budget that’s paid for by hard-working taxpayers. We have to get back to a lean government, we have to get back to a cost-effective government, and you might agree that in the next few years we are going to be looking at a ever increasing paying taxes.…
Continue readingThen Vs. Now
The past few months have been among the most interesting in my entire life. I started it off by being sworn in as Clackamas County Commissioner, which was and is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever experienced. This came after our county and many others throughout Oregon suffered through massive fires and the resulting smoke. Then there were the…
Continue readingA Mouthful of Sour Grapes
Before I decided to run for Clackamas County Commissioner, all of my public service experience was as a member of the United States military. I was initially commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps, followed by service with the US Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Bronze Star druring the Iraq War. As such, the world…
Continue readingWorking for All of Clackamas County’s Residents
I’ve been serving on the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners for about three months now. So far, it’s been a very interesting and educational experience, as there is a lot that goes into managing the daily operations of one of Oregon’s most populated counties. Because the commissioners are elected officials, we conduct our business in meetings that are open to…
Continue readingThe Ways in Which I Will Serve
A lot is involved with being a Clackamas County commissioner. Aside from being part of the board that manages the daily operations of one of Oregon’s largest counties, the commissioners also work with several different outside entities on a wide variety of public policy areas. On February 21, I was assigned to several positions on various committees, councils and commissions…
Continue readingSearching for Housing Solutions
Residents of Clackamas County, the Portland metropolitan area and all throughout Oregon have felt the crunch in recent years of skyrocketing housing costs. Rising rents add to the cost of living for families and individuals, and also make it more difficult to save enough money to buy a house. Homeownership has long been a cornerstone of the American Dream and…
Continue readingPlanning Ahead for the Future
Clackamas County is in an interesting position right now. Even though it has the smallest population of the three counties in the Portland metropolitan area, it’s still Oregon’s third most populous county. As of 2019, around 418,187 people called Clackamas County home. Washington County was at 601,592 and Multnomah had 812,855 residents. Many of issues that our residents are most…
Continue readingIn Defense of the American Way
Like many of you, I’ve closely watched the events of the past few months, both locally and nationally. Oregon’s largest city, Portland, has become the poster child for the differing visions of what our great nation should be. Knowing that the riots and lawlessness are happening not too far from Clackamas County has been a huge source of discomfort for…
Continue readingUsing Tax Dollars to Campaign for Tax Dollars
As voters in Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties are scheduled to decide on a payroll tax to pad Metro’s pockets, that agency is facing an elections complaint. The complaint was recently filed by Tootie Smith, the incoming chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners. In the May primary election, Smith defeated incumbent chair Jim Bernard, who has been found…
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