They determine school or college policy. They oversee port operations, help make sure firefighters and their equipment can respond to emergencies, that water flows, or potholes are occasionally filled.
These are the mostly low-profile special service districts, many of whose board members are up for election in May.
Candidates could file starting Feb. 4 – some already have – and the deadline for filing for office is 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16. A full list of election openings and filing procedures is on the county clerk’s election website.
School boards and special service districts elect board members not in the busy November election cycle where they can get lost in the shuffle of big-name politicians or issues, but in off-year May elections where voters can focus on the small districts that provide many local services.
In Lincoln County, the elections range from two members of the Lincoln County School District and four members of the Oregon Coast Community College boards, to port districts in Waldport, Newport and Toledo, three fire districts, and more than a dozen small water and road districts serving rural areas.
But no matter how big or small the district, there is generally more work involved than just attending a monthly meeting or two. Sometimes a board has to fire and hire a chief executive, negotiate with unions, oversee budgets, and ask voters to increase taxes.
The best board members come without an agenda, other than to help guide administrators and help set policy. It can be hard detailed work, but also and rewarding.
For large districts such as schools or the college, board positions are elected by geographic zones. For all others, you just have to live in the district, be a registered voter and fill out a form from the county clerk’s office.
Instructions on how to file are available on the elections website for the Lincoln County clerk. Information is also available at individual district offices.
The mail election is May 16. If a board seat is not filled via an election, then a majority of the service district board can fill it by appointment. A list of districts and positions open is available on the county clerk’s website.
There is only one money measure on the May ballot – a $32 million bond for Oregon Coast Community College to help it build a trades-training building and make improves to other buildings.
Here is a list of major districts and their board openings in Lincoln County:
- Oregon Coast Community College: Four of five zoned board seats currently held by Jeff Ouderkirk, Nancy Osterlund, Alison Baker and Debbie Kilduff are up for election. Only Kilduff, who lives in Waldport, so far has filed for election.
- Lincoln County School District: Two of five zoned board seats held by Liz Martin and Megan Cawley are up for election. No one has filed yet.
- Port of Alsea: Two of five board seats held by Rob Bishop and Jan Power are up for election. Both have filed for re-election.
- Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District: Because of the recall of two members and the resignation of a third in 2022, all five board seats are up for election. Jon MacCulloch, who was appointed last year, has filed for a two-year term on Position 3 and Waldport city council member Rick Booth has filed for Position 4, a four-year term, now held by Kevin Battles. Positions 1, 2 and 5 — held by Ray Woodruff, Zach Akin and Reda Eckerman — have yet to have someone file for them.
- Seal Rock Fire District: Four of five board seats are up for election. David Pelligrinelli and S.D. “Skip” Smith, who were both appointed in 2022, have filed for election. Board seats held by Karl Kowalski and Mike Burt are also up for election.
- Yachats Rural Fire Protection District: Two of five seats are up for election, Position 1 held by Drew Tracy and Position 2 held by Katherine Guenther. No one has yet filed for the positions.
- Southwest Lincoln County Water District: Three of five board seats are up for election and no one has filed yet.
- Seal Rock Water District: Two of five board seats are up for election; Glen Morris has filed for re-election.
There are also board positions open on the ports of Newport and Toledo, the Lincoln County Library District, the Pacific Communities and North Lincoln health districts, which oversee hospital properties in Newport and Lincoln City, and fire districts in Depoe Bay, east Lincoln County, rural areas east of Newport, North Lincoln and Siletz.
There are also positions on seven other water district boards, 12 road districts and three sanitary districts.
Important dates to remember:
- Last day for candidates to file for office: March 16
- Last day for candidates to submit voter’s pamphlet material: March 20
- Voter registration deadline: April 25
- Ballots mailed out: April 26
- Election Day: May 16