Manager proposed for JoCo under Toler plan
From our weekly issue dated January 30, 2008
His goals for restructuring the current county governing organization were announced by Josephine County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dave Toler during a press conference at the county courthouse in Grants Pass Thursday, Jan. 24.
His plans call for a reduction of the commissioners’ positions to a half-time status with a corresponding reduction in salary. The money saved would then be used to hire a professional county manager who would be directly answerable to the commissioners.
With the proposed pay cut, approximately $150,000 would be available.
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With the loss of former Chief Operations Officer Marie Hill; and with commissioners Dwight Ellis and Jim Raffenburg voting to not hire a chief accounting officer for the county, there is a situation wherein there are three elected officials operating as county managers, Toler said.
He added that this forces the commissioners to deal as managers with day-to-day mechanics of county operation rather than the actual governing of the county. He cited an example where the commissioners spent 20 minutes dealing with the logistics of allowing a student group to use the courthouse on a Saturday for a moot court lesson.
He also pointed to the current grant withdrawal situation in the city of Cave Junction as an example of nonprofessional management being overseen by elected officials.
Toler made it clear during his discussion that he could in no way speak for his two fellow commissioners in this matter. He stressed that he is simply following up on his campaign statements.
He said that his first year in office has convinced him that there are inadequacies that need to be addressed.
Ellis said that that he opposes Toler’s idea, apparently for economic reasons.
“I have a mortgage and bills,” he said during a telephone interview. “I have voluntarily taken a 10 percent cut in pay as I promised,” the commissioner said, but indicated that a 50 percent pay cut would be unacceptable.
Ellis said that he supports the idea of a chief accounting officer being hired if and when federal O&C funds are re-established, but with no change in the actual status of the commissioners.
Harry Mackin, a declared candidate for the commission seat currently held by Raffenburg, spoke after the press conference. He said that he would strongly support the proposal with the caveat that commissioners remain in a full-time status until the dynamic between a county manager and the commissioners can be established.
He also restated Toler’s assertions that the existing structure is proving to have problems, and that the county manager position is more in keeping with successful business operations.
Paul Walters, of newswithviews.com alleged that Toler and Ellis were secretly conspiring to “ram this proposal down the county’s throat.” He also claimed that backroom deals already were made that would install Copeland Sand & Gravel executive Bill Peterson in the proposed county manager’s position.
Some noted that Walters seemed oblivious to the public format of the proposal; the fact that Ellis opposes the move; and that he could offer no evidence that Peterson has shown an interest in the proposed position.
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