The Josephine County Board of Commissioners has been anything but boring lately.
This year, voters recalled Commissioner Chris Barnett, while Board Chair Andreas Blech — also facing recall — resigned. That follows a successful recall of still another commissioner, John West, in 2024. West, meanwhile, faced eight investigations by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, all of which were dismissed.
A dizzying number of lawsuits have also been filed by former employees, current and past board members and a local online news publisher.
A packed primary field suggests there are plenty who think their local government has gone awry. Eight candidates are running for Position 2 in May.
Matt Eide, like other candidates, said he’d bring stability to the board. He’s worked in human resources and finance and is president of Calvary Lutheran Church of Grants Pass.
“In many ways, I'd like to make it boring,” Eide said. “So that we could just make decisions. We can make the county run, and we can start working to solve some of our harder issues together.”
James Rafferty, who describes himself as a “100% constitutional conservative,” said his campaign centers on communication as a way to heal the divisive political climate. He suggests regular town halls.
“Communication is paramount,” he said. “Individuals… need to be heard and also have the opportunity and the option to be heard.”
Mark Jones also said he would bring a collaborative attitude to county government. Jones is chair of the Josephine County Rural Planning Commission, vice chair of the Housing and Community Development Council and a retired firefighter.
“When we rolled up on a burning building, we didn't just rush in the front door. We did what we call the ‘360’ on the building, so we could get the full perspective of what was going on before we made a decision,” Jones said. “That's the same approach that I would take with this county government in this position.”
Candidates spoke of wanting to end county conflict so commissioners could focus on the many issues in the rural region, such as the county government’s finances.
Josephine County once relied heavily on logging for jobs and to fund public services. That era has passed, and county officials have struggled to find something to take the timber industry’s place. Residents have been wary of raising taxes to fill that budget hole. The county has one of the lowest property tax rates in the state.
Matt Spurlock said he sees missed opportunities for funding and investment. A community organizer, he heads the local chapter of the progressive group Indivisible. Spurlock said he became involved in politics when commissioners briefly terminated the county’s lease with the Grants Pass Library last year.
Spurlock said he could offer unique solutions for bringing funding to Josephine County.
“I have already proposed a project for a mixed-use commercial and residential housing center,” he said. “[I] proposed an idea for a gondola system to go from the base of the mountain in Cave Junction up to the Oregon Caves [National Monument].”
Rather than searching for ways to bring in more money, longtime Josephine County resident Mark Seligman said he’s focused on reducing taxes and fees.
“You actually have a choice: do you want the service or do you want money in your pocket? I would rather have the money in my pocket,” Seligman said. “I feel that a lot of the services provided by Josephine County are either not there or they're inept.”
He said lessening the tax burden would especially help seniors.
Homelessness remains another persistent concern in Josephine County.
Indra Nicholas serves on the Grants Pass City Council and has been at the forefront of dealing with the issue. In 2024, the city won the right to enforce a camping ban at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nicholas, who’s in favor of transitional housing, said she would approach homelessness with compassion. But she also said that concerns over crime are driving families out of the area.
“We have to make people accountable for their actions,” she said. “Enforcement of crime is really important… because that affects our quality of life here.”
Michael Burdge and Chad Hansen did not respond to a request for an interview.
Colene Martin, who is running for Position 1 against six candidates, was appointed to Position 2 in February.
The primary election is on May 19. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two move on to the general election in November. A majority winner would advance to November alone.
