Ballots are dropped off at the Deschutes Services Building in Bend on Sunday.

It’s time for Deschutes County to move forward and expand its Board of Commissioners from three to five members by voting YES on Measure 9-173 this November.

The current three-member commission structure has remained unchanged since the county’s founding in 1916, when Deschutes had just 5,000 residents. Today, our population has skyrocketed to over 200,000, and we are one of the fastest-growing counties in Oregon. Yet, the structure of our governing body remains stuck in the past. It is simply irresponsible to continue expecting three individuals to adequately manage a county of this size with a staff of 1,200 and a budget of $728 million.

No other governing body in Deschutes County operates with only three members. From the La Pine City Council to the Redmond School Board, even local committees like the 4-H Budget Committee have five members.

Why should our County Commission, which makes critical decisions impacting land use, emergency management, economic development, and more, be limited to just three voices?

Expanding the County Commission to five members will result in better decision-making and governance. A larger board means more perspectives at the table, encouraging thoughtful deliberation and reducing the risk of impulsive or poorly considered decisions. Right now, just two commissioners can determine the direction of major policies. We’ve seen situations where years of hard work and negotiations were overturned by a last-minute reversal from a single commissioner. A five-member board will foster a more balanced and transparent process, ensuring that decisions reflect a broader range of views and interests.

Increased representation is also a critical benefit of expanding the board. With a larger commission, it becomes more feasible to consider district representation, ensuring that different geographic areas of our growing county, such as Redmond and Southern Deschutes County, have a dedicated voice in county governance. This would greatly improve access and responsiveness to the needs of residents.

Expanding the commission is not just about improving representation—it’s about improving fiscal oversight as well. With a budget nearing three-quarters of a billion dollars, the stakes are too high for major financial decisions to be made by only two commissioners. Stronger oversight could save millions, as better financial management would have prevented costly mistakes in the past. For example, in 2017 and 2018, two commissioners pushed through a politically motivated tax cut that saved homeowners only a few dollars, while draining $10 million from our capital reserves—money we now have to borrow and pay interest on to expand our courthouse. A larger board would help prevent these kinds of short-sighted decisions.

This measure has strong local support. The entire Bend and Sisters City Councils have endorsed Measure 9-173 as well as the League of Women Voters, Commissioner Phil Chang, The Central Oregon Labor Chapter of the AFL-CIO and a majority of the Redmond City Council (see a full list on our website). These community leaders recognize that the county’s governance must evolve to keep pace with the demands of modern public service, from addressing homelessness and mental health crises to managing wildfire risk and economic development.

Now is the time for Deschutes County to modernize its commission structure. Join Bend and Sisters leaders, and vote YES on Measure 9-173 this November. Expanding the County Commission to five members will ensure better governance, stronger representation, and more responsible fiscal oversight for our growing community.

John Heylin, is director of Represent Deschutes, www.RepresentDeschutes.com and was a force behind the ballot measure.

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