Candidates for Crook County commissioner weigh in after 2-1 vote to make major governance change

(Update: Adding video, comments from county clerk, commissioner candidates, KTVZ.COM Poll)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – After more than a year of discussion – and just days before the May primary candidate filing deadline – the Crook County Court voted 2-1 Friday to change the county’s form of government from two commissioners and a judge who is the board chair to three equal commissioners and a county manager they'll appoint.

County Clerk Cheryl Seely said the decision came just days before the deadline, so voters will see a county commissioner on the ballot this year, rather than county judge.

"It's still a four-year term," she said Wednesday. "The same rules apply. When we have three or more candidates filed, the top two will move on to November, unless somebody receives over 50% of the vote and then that person can be elected in the primary."

The newly renamed commission's Wednesday work session included discussion of a draft document laying out the roles and responsibilities of the commissioners and board chair, formerly the judge, with contract County Administrator Andy Parks facilitating that discussion.

Ken Fahlgren is running for the new county commissioner position. He previously served as a commissioner on the county court from 2012 to 2019.

"When I was there, it was an overload," Fahlgren recalled. "We worked many, many hours as a part-time commissioner. I don't think I spent a week that was less than 40, 50 hours a week for those many eight years I worked in that position."

The third candidate for the commission seat, Monty Kurtz, says the previous county court system was confusing to many.

"It's really difficult to get people to understand the nuances of the differences," he said. "People don't understand from what I've seen, and what they described on Friday, that the county court is not a judicial court. I think the three commissioners have to work together to balance that load."

County commissioners Brian Barney and Susan Hermreck, the latter appointed in December after Jerry Brummer’s resignation, voted to make the change. But county Judge Seth Crawford, who has filed to seek re-election, voted no, saying such a major change should go to a vote of the people directly.

The court had agreed that it needed to decide the matter before Tuesday’s candidate filing deadline, so those who seek office would know what system they’d be working under.

The order changed the court to a board of commissioners immediately, though the judge is retained through the end of the current term, at the end of the year, when it becomes a commissioner position. They are full-time positions and the chair role will rotate annually.

An issue summary before the board said, “The fiscal impacts of the change in governance are expected to be neutral to no less than present costs."

Though he voted against the change, Crawford signed the order making it official as of Friday.

The county court initiated discussions of the change in governance in August of 2022, and two years later contracted Andy Parks to assist in that role. Last spring, his scope of work was expanded to implement a county administrator role, which is renamed to county manager in the order, to serve as chief administrative officer, at the pleasure of the board and subject to its policy and oversight.

That change, from an elected to appointed chief administrator, prompted Crawford’s opposition, saying that change should be subject to a public vote. But Hermreck and Barney disagreed, calling it more of a change in title than in operation, according to the Central Oregonian.