I had the opportunity to attend the candidates Forum in Merlin on 4/5/22, Six of the eight Commissioners candidates were present with two others being a no-show. But they weren’t the only ones missing… The Sheriff turned down the invitation as well, the second forum so far this campaign season.
My question is simple, why is the Sheriff afraid to sit down in the same room with me to answer questions?
Here are five questions for the Sheriff, citizens should hear answers to:
#1 You proposed a 3% sales tax to the Grants Pass City Council, you said the numbers were pulled from a similar sized city in Washington State. What makes you think the spending patterns in Washington State are like those in Grants Pass and Josephine County?
#2 You had an approved budget, but you also spent over 4 million additional dollars from the Sheriff’s reserve that was NOT included in your budget; is that being fiscally responsible?
#3 You participated in a raid of the Q Bar X Ranch where according to the paper you detained over 200 people including hundreds of undocumented aliens participating in illegal activities. Yet not a single person was arrested, why? Isn’t it a crime to participate in an illegal activity?
#4 In July 2019 the media reported that employees of the Josephine County Sheriff’s office filed suit against you for sexual harassment and sexual discrimination; what were the results of those lawsuits?
#5 Oregon State law outlines the job of the Sheriff, and those five functions all depend on deputies assigned to Patrol; why do you continue to threaten to eliminate patrol if you do not get additional funds? You accepted the job knowing the funds were limited.
I’m sure there are questions people would like to ask me as well. This is why I accept invitations to candidate forums, for the benefit of the citizens.
Follow-up comments from the Eagle Forum: https://slair.io/hMKF-0VZqhpl