By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews
Ever been sued by anyone over anything? Or cited for a breach of ethics, or been the subject of a complaint to any court, agency or professional organization?
Have you ever been a part of any litigation – even as a witness — or a legislative proceeding?
How about serving on a political committee or affiliated with a political organization? Or better yet, have you ever associated with any person, group or business which could be used to impugn or question your character?
Those are some of the unusual – and one illegal — questions being asked of applicants for a soon-to-be vacant seat on the non-partisan three-member Lincoln County board of commissioners.
Commissioner Kaety Jacobson announced last week she is resigning Feb. 14 with almost two years left on her second, four-year term. On Monday the county announced the appointment procedure for what has been – and will be again in May 2026 — an elected position.
It is the first commission appointment since 2012 when Newport banker Doug Hunt was chosen to replace Don Lindly, who resigned with two years left in his term. Hunt went on to be elected to two terms before retiring in 2022.
The only legal requirements to apply are that an office seeker have been a resident of the county for one year and be a registered voter.
Of the eight questions on the county’s five-page application, only one asks why the applicant is interested in serving as a commissioner. There are no questions asking what the applicant sees as major issues facing the county or what attributes the candidate might have to help resolve those or other issues.
One of the county’s questions – asking if the applicant has ever been convicted of a criminal offense or violation – is illegal under a 2016 Oregon “ban the box” law that prohibits potential employers from asking on applications about criminal histories prior to a job interview. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, which investigates workplace or employment discrimination, even has a special form for people subject to such questions to file an official complaint.
Two other local governments – the Lincoln County School District and Oregon Coast Community College – are filling vacancies on their boards this week. Applicants for those positions were asked to submit a resume and answer questions why they were applying – and then appearing before those boards for in-person interviews.
Unlike the county commission, those are unpaid, part-time volunteer positions. Lincoln County commission positions are considered full-time jobs with a salary starting at $94,000 a year, not including a range of benefits.
Applications are due in two weeks – there’s a deadline of 5 p.m. Jan. 28 – after which commissioners Claire Hall and Casey Miller will conduct interviews and vote to appoint someone.
YachatsNews asked Hall – who became commission chair last week — and Miller if they had seen or had input on the applications put together by the county counsel’s office. Both said they had not seen the application or the timeline before it was released Monday.
Miller followed up Tuesday to say he has asked administrator Tim Johnson to arrange a workshop meeting of commissioners to discuss the application and appointment procedure. Miller, who has been working away from the courthouse since September while there is an outside investigation of a harassment complaint, said he has not heard back.
But Miller did say that he feels the question about political affiliation is improper because the commission is a non-partisan body.
“The question sends the community and potential candidates a bit of a mixed message about the priorities of the commission,” Miller said. “Trying to assess political biases, loyalties or affiliations is less appropriate in my mind than the work that is done by a commissioner.”
He also said the application asks for a lot more information than required of candidates who simply file for election with the county clerk.
Bizarre, unhelpful, unusual
YachatsNews also asked a handful of local and Oregon elected officials, current and former public administrators what they thought of the application. All were granted anonymity to comment candidly and protect relationships. Most said it was highly unusual, looked to be designed as a background document for a sensitive administrative position, and potentially designed to discourage certain candidates from applying.
“Just bizarre,” one said.
That’s also how one likely candidate viewed the questions.
“… disappointing, narrow, tricky, unhelpful and reflective of the space the commission finds itself in,” said Depoe Bay city councilor Rick Beasley, who lost to five-term incumbent Hall by 115 votes out of more than 26,000 votes cast in their November general election commission race.
Beasley said Monday he intends to apply for the appointment, saying he owed it to the more than 13,000 people who voted for him “to throw my hat in the ring.”
“The numbers are there to support my appointment,” he told YachatsNews. “But typically they go for someone who doesn’t threaten them.”
Hall, in an answer to emailed questions Tuesday about the application, appeared to defend the questions. The questions, she said, “… are standard questions on the Oregon State website for application to boards and commissions.”
Yes and no.
The state’s questions were for volunteer, unpaid positions on state boards – not full-time well-paid jobs with benefits. The state’s suggested, formatted questions were similar to only a few of Lincoln County’s – and not about prior convictions, political affiliations and the possibility of associating with businesses or groups that could “impugn your character.”
A former longtime Oregon city manager and adjunct university professor who was shown the questions said they were striking for what they did not ask.
“What are the biggest issues facing the county and how would the candidate help address them?” the former manager said.
One current city manager, who is also a former mayor, did go on the record about the application.
Waldport city manager Dann Cutter said while the application is highly unusual it might be needed given the ongoing issues with the county commission and administration.
“I would say it’s unusual given the other elected board positions being appointed in the region, but it’s also refreshing,” Cutter told YachatsNews. “The county is saying that we want a more informed public and want our officials to have more accountability to their past … and evidence that their actions won’t cause additional costs to the taxpayer in the future. I think all candidates for office should be willing to answer those questions.”
- Quinton Smith is the editor of YachatsNews.com and can be reached at YachatsNews@gmail.com
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