GRANTS PASS, Ore. – “This isn’t partisan politics.” Former republican county commissioner and state representative Lily Morgan told NBC5 News.
She’s no stranger to Oregon politics.
She says the effort to recall Commissioner John West, involves both Republicans and Democrats, even some of West’s previous supporters.
Morgan says West’s actions have affected the health and safety of Josephine County, cost the county revenue and increased costs, and cut valued services to emergency management and fire safety programs.
After this last budget session it was clear that we need to do something now to save the future of our sheriff’s office, our public health, and other programs that are within the county so we can have a thriving place to live.
Morgan says other decisions West has made demonstrate a pattern of unethical and illegal behavior, damaging public trust and warranting recall.
There is a need to have good governance. There is a need to have a commissioner that is going to do the best for all of the citizens in Josephine county and not just for a very small group that is political allies and friends.
Commissioner West says the recall has no merit.
Morgan and others are upset West and fellow commissioner, Herman Baertschiger pulled county support for an OSU extension tax.
West told us last year it came after a dispute over a club t-shirt, now he’s also pointing to finances.
“The reason why OSU was defunded was because they were not transparent,” Commissioner West told NBC 5 News. “With their books and answering our financial questions. That is one of the reasons.”
The petition also accuses West of hiring unqualified political allies for key county employee and contract positions.
Commissioners hired one of Baertschiger’s former political staffers to head the county’s emergency management department.
West said, “He met every single requirement for both departments and we combined the two departments and put them under one director which was him, and saved the county $95,000.”
Morgan says other decisions, like litigation after allowing a library district withdrawal, cost taxpayers.
She says, “They allowed a citizen through some process to try to come out of the district be removed from the district.”
But after the library district took legal action, a judge ordered commissioners to stop discussing opt-outs.
The county eventually reversed its decision.
Commissioner West is nearly halfway through his 4-year term and is currently the only one of the three commissioners slated to be in office next year.
Two new commissioners will be elected this November.
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