The Umpqua Public Transportation District board accepted the resignation of district CEO Ben Edtl on Monday.
Edtl joined the district last year, alongside a newly elected board that campaigned on “America First” Republican themes. At the time, the rural Douglas County agency faced dozens of compliance issues. But during Edtl’s tenure, the agency largely rebounded, according to state officials.
Despite the progress, five board members lost their seats in a special election in May.
Edtl and former board member Todd Vaughn have alleged fraud in that election but have not provided evidence to support their claims. Vaughn has filed a lawsuit against the Douglas County clerk and his opponent, Natasha Atkinson.
The board certified the election results at Monday’s meeting but has not yet sworn in Atkinson.
Edtl, who has also worked as a political consultant for Oregon Republicans, has recently campaigned against the state's vote-by-mail system. A small group of demonstrators gathered outside the building during Monday's meeting, holding signs that protested vote-by-mail.
Board member Michaela Hammerson, who was not up for election in May, objected to certifying the results and paying the county for the election. She said the county clerk has not provided election records.
“I disagree with certification until the county clerk complies with public records requests, so that we can have transparent elections,” Hammerson said.
The board meeting then turned to budget issues. Chief Operations Officer George Carrillo said cuts in staff and routes are likely due to delayed federal funding.
“We can survive the storm,” Carrillo said. "There’s just cutbacks that we have to do, and it's going to be on routes."
Staff said routes in southern Douglas County could be dropped entirely.
Brenda Gordon, a Riddle resident, spoke at public comment in the packed room.
“We have no doctors in this town. We have no way to get to where we need to go without the bus,” Gordon said. “You can't cut us off.”
Transportation districts across Oregon are facing similar budget pressures amid rising prices and cuts in funding.
The district plans to hold a special budget meeting by the end of the month to consider its options.
