Deschutes County commissioners decide to create a citizen districting committee for commission expansion

(Update: Adding video, comments from meeting)

Proposal would go to voters next year, as they elect two more board members

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- Nearly five months after Deschutes County voters approved a measure to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five, the three current commissioners are in general agreement about putting a proposal before voters next year to elect commissioners by geographic districts, rather than at large.

The board discussed at Monday afternoon's work session the details of how to create a citizen committee that would develop district maps to be represented by each county commissioner. The options include establishing either five districts of roughly equal populations or four geographic districts and one seat elected at large.

The two added commissioner seats will be filled in 2026 for two years, and then under the proposal, three commission positions would be elected in presidential election years; voters previously decided to make the commissioners non-partisan positions.

Candidates for the two new seats will be able to file to run in November 2025, less than a year from now, leaving commissioners a very tight window to agree upon and send a districting proposal to voters.

Commissioner Tony DeBone discussed the idea of having one commissioner service west, east, and south districts and two in Bend. But there are still many questions left to be answered. 

"My goal is for the residents, the electors of Deschutes County, just to be up to speed on the big picture," DeBone said. He says residents he's spoken to had no idea the county is not districted.

County legal counsel David Doyle recommended that commissioners appoint a charter-like committee to decide on the district details.

"You get a pretty reasonable, fair representation from that committee and what they push forward to you, that you folks are in agreement and you push it out to the voters, and the voters decide, and there's hopefully not a lot of politics associated with it - but maybe that's wishful thinking," Doyle said.

The proposed district map would be sent to voters as early as the May 2026 primary election, or possibly that November. If not passed by voters, all five commissioners would remain at large.

Now, the commission will need to establish the districting committee within the next few weeks. Districts will be based on population, as under state law all districts must have a roughly equal number of voters.