During the 2020 Almeda Fire, Isabella Lee Tibbetts says she relied on Facebook Live to follow the flames as they spread through the Rogue Valley.
Six years later, that experience is shaping one of her priorities as she campaigns for Position 3 on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. Tibbetts says the county needs to do more to prepare residents for emergencies and give them a greater voice in government decisions.
The community organizer and mother of two discussed her priorities during a candidate forum hosted by the Jefferson Exchange.
Tibbetts is challenging incumbent Colleen Roberts, who has served on the board for more than a decade. Roberts declined an invitation to participate in the forum.
Bringing a different perspective
Tibbetts was raised in Phoenix and attended schools in the Phoenix-Talent School District. She describes herself as Indigenous Quechua and said growing up in a working-class family shaped her understanding of the challenges many residents face.
Her family has also relied on assistance programs such as WIC and the Oregon Health Plan, she said.
Tibbetts has not previously held elected office. She said her background would bring a different perspective to county government.
“Looking at the future of the progress of Jackson County, it’s going to take an outside perspective and somebody who understands what low-income families, communities of color and younger families are facing in today’s world,” Tibbetts said.
Making county government more accessible
Tibbetts said many residents do not know enough about the decisions county commissioners make, particularly during weekday work sessions that can be difficult for working people to attend.
If elected, she said she would hold monthly town halls to explain county decisions and hear from residents.
"When elected, I fully believe in having an open-door policy and being completely reachable and responding to residents with the questions that they ask," Tibbetts said.
She also promised to make herself accessible and respond to residents’ questions.
Preparing residents for disasters
Tibbetts said Jackson County has improved its emergency zones and alert systems since the Almeda Fire. But she wants the county to provide more training on evacuation plans, emergency kits and other steps residents can take before disaster strikes.
“The county really needs to look at preparing residents and providing more information for them on how to pack a go-bag, what important information you should take if you’re given a moment’s notice that you have to get out,” she said.
Tibbetts also called for emergency information to be available in multiple languages.
“Bilingual information is incredibly important, given that there are different communities who might not even understand English,” she said.
Rethinking housing and public safety
On housing, Tibbetts said Jackson County should examine whether its zoning rules are limiting development. She proposed bringing residents, developers and agricultural landowners together to consider possible changes.
“When I talk about affordable housing, I really think that it’s going to take a roundtable solution, which is bringing developers in, bringing residents in, but also farm owners who own a lot of the land,” she said.
Tibbetts also wants commissioners to visit low-income neighborhoods and mobile home communities to hear directly from residents struggling with housing costs.
Her approach to public safety would combine support for law enforcement with greater investment in mental health care and addiction treatment. Tibbetts said those services could address some of the underlying problems that lead to calls for police and sheriff’s deputies.
“In order to address public safety, we have to look at the root cause of a lot of the cases that sheriffs are being called out to, and even city police are,” she said.
Tibbetts said she supports responsible county spending but questioned whether officials are holding on to money that could support essential services.
“There’s fiscal responsibility, and then there’s holding on to money that we really need to invest into our communities through social services, through animal control, through all the aspects that the Board of Commissioners are in charge of,” she said.
Tibbetts said her broader goal is to make the Jackson County safer while protecting the region for future generations.
Guest
- Isabella Lee Tibbetts, candidate, Jackson County Commissioner, Seat 3
