Proposal to make Deschutes County commissioner seats non-partisan aims for May ballot

'They should not be voting Republican or Democrat. They should be voting for community issues according to what the community wishes.'

SISTERS, Ore (KTVZ) -- An initiative petition to ask voters whether Deschutes County commissioner seats should become non-partisan has been circulating since May, and it appears the vote won't happen any sooner than next May.

Susan Cobb, one of three chief petitioners for the Non-Partisan County Commissioners Committee, said Monday they need to gather at least 6,721 valid voter signatures and are shooting for 9,400, to ensure that it makes the ballot.

As of now, they’ve obtained 2,808 signatures. Cobb said it’s been a slow process.

“In the time of Covid and in the time of extreme fires and smoke, we have had few opportunities to get signatures from the public face to face, because events have been canceled here, there and everywhere," Cobb stated.

Along with Cobb, a Democrat from Sisters, the other chief petitioners are Republican-turned-independent Mimi Alkira, vice president of the League of Women Voters in Deschutes County, and Drew Kaza, another independent voter who owns the Sisters Movie House.

Cobb said they were successful at the Sisters Folk Festival over the weekend, as well as at farmers markets and other public spaces, like outside the Sisters Library. However, they’re still not on track to make the November ballot.

“Right now, we just don’t have the count," Cobb said. "But even if we had the count, it would be the only thing that the voters would be voting for or against in the November election, and (as a result), the November election would cost $450,000.”

The new game plan is to get the initiative on the primary election ballot next May. To do so, they need to submit their petition signatures by early February.

To expedite the process, Cobb said they’re hosting an event at Drake Park on Monday, Oct. 18, 3ober 18th from 3pm to 4pm. The event will have a panelist made up of two past county commissioners, Deschutes County's Tammy Baney and Tillamook County's Mark Labhart, and current Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, a Democrat elected last year (the other two commissioners, Tony DeBone and Patti Adair, are Republicans).

A couple of Sisters residents expressed their support for the initiative.

“Yes, it’s better to be non-partisan in this capacity," Brooke Mik said.

“Absolutely," Blanche Tadlock said. "Since they were voted in by the community, they should not be voting Republican or Democrat. They should be voting for community issues according to what the community wishes."

Cobb hopes that in the future, the politicians can focus on the people in the community, rather than party affiliation. 

Presently, the chief petitioners are looking for volunteer circulators. If you are interested in playing a role and helping the petition gain more momentum, you can send an e-mail to nonpartisan.deschutes@gmail.com. More information can also be found on their website.