Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Phil Chang have endorsed candidate Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp for the next Deschutes County Sheriff, citing his fiscal experience, strong approach to enforcement and popularity with Deschutes County Sheriff Office staff.

“We need to clean up,” Adair said Wednesday. “I feel like he’s bringing a new perspective.”

The sheriff’s race has been contentious this election season, especially as the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office faces scrutiny for spending. Last year, The Bulletin reported that the sheriff’s office overestimated its funds by more than $2 million, while also spending money on items like a $3,000 slushee machine and more than $5,000 on fitness trackers for staff members.

To compensate, the Deschutes County Commission agreed to raise tax rates, maxing out both the county’s and the sheriff’s office tax rates and helping the agency end this last year with a $4.4 million surplus.

“Honestly, we’ve got to get way more frugal,” Adair said.

Vander Kamp, who has a master’s degree in business administration, has come out strongly against raising taxes. He believes that the sheriff’s office can “tighten its belt,” and that he can solve the agency’s budget woes by treating it more like a traditional business.

“We need to bring people in that have different backgrounds and not have a room full of cops talking about how to spend money,” Vander Kamp said. “We need to bring in some business people who understand economics and can tell us and explain to us how to forecast. We need to get out of that echo chamber.”

Vander Kamp’s opponent, Capt. William Bailey, plans to ask the county to allocate more money to the sheriff’s office from the county’s transient room tax — a tax paid by visitors on hotel rooms — even if it means taking that funding away from other departments.

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Chang said he is not persuaded by Bailey’s notion that crime actually attributable to tourists is justification for a larger share of the tourism tax.

He said he does not believe sitting Sheriff Shane Nelson, who has endorsed Bailey, has a “command of what it costs to run the sheriff’s office, nor does he have a command of how you generate the revenue to do that.”

Chang said Bailey had not demonstrated that he would run the office any differently than Nelson.

Chang said his support for Vander Kamp was pushed over the edge a few weeks ago when the candidate secured the endorsement of the sheriff’s office employee union.

In addition to Nelson, Bailey has also been endorsed by Redmond City Councilor Clifford Evelyn, local veterans advocate Dick Tobiason, former Secretary of State Bev Clarno and many others.

Vander Kamp said he was honored by Adair and Chang’s endorsements, and pleased that the three of them see eye to eye on what the key issues are.

“These endorsements reflects (sic) our shared commitment to addressing the complex issues our community faces — fiscal responsibility, homelessness, drug use, and mental health,” he said in a statement.

“As Sheriff, I will work tirelessly to build partnerships and bring people together to find lasting solutions. Together, we can create a safer, stronger Deschutes County for all.”