Salary cut could be invalidated because another measure appears to have failed
By Damian Mann for Ashland.news
A Tuesday primary election ballot measure to cut Jackson County commissioners salaries to $75,000 received overwhelming support from voters, according to unofficial results at 8 p.m.
But two other ballot measures — one that would have made the commissioner position nonpartisan, another increasing the size of the board from three to five — appear to be rejected, according to the first round of ballot results released by the Jackson County Elections Office.
Measure 15-226, which effectively cuts commissioners base salaries by up to 50%, received 25,942 “yes” votes and 14,372 “no” votes, or 64.35% to 35.65% in the first round of results.
However, Measure 15-226 appears to depend on the passage of Measure 15-225, potentially rendering the salary cut invalid.
Measure 15-225, which sought to expand the county Board of Commissioners from three to five, received 21,735 “no” votes and 18,763 “yes” votes, or 53.67% opposing and 46.33% supporting.
Measure 15-224, which would have made the commissioner position nonpartisan, received 22,499 “no” votes and 17,980 “yes” votes, or 55.58% opposing and 44.42% supporting.
Commissioner Rick Dyer said that because of the way the measures were written the salary cut is “null and void.”
“Essentially all three measures failed,” he said.
He said the salary cut measure depends on Measure 15-225 passing.
The ballot measure that would reduce the pay states, “Five commissioners will receive equal pay, still nearly double the median pay of their constituents.”
“I don’t know why they connected the two,” he said. “Their campaign really focused on the salaries.”
Annual salaries for commissioners Colleen Roberts and Rick Dyer will be $150,009.60 on July 1.
A new commissioner would start out at an annual salary of $117,562.
A volunteer, grassroots effort known as Jackson County for All qualified three measures for the ballot.
Denise Krause, chief petitioner for the ballot effort, said it’s true that Measure 225 and Measure 226 are tied together.
She said the salary cut wasn’t intended to be a penalty but rather was part of an overall effort to bring more accountability to the Board of Commissioners.
Krause, who is the Democratic nominee for Jackson County Commissioner in Noqovember, said, “In my run for county commissioner, I’ve said already that I would take the lower salary on Day 1.”
Still, Krause said Jackson County for All isn’t ready to say the ballot measures failed until more votes are counted.
Even if the ballot measures don’t pass, Krause said Jackson County for All has shed a light on what the county expects of the Board of Commissioners.
“It’s brought a whole new level of transparency to the commission,” she said. “This is a wake-up call.
Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com.
