Two mayors join commissioner ranks
Bernard, Lehan win commission seats, appointment coming
Commission Chair-elect Lynn Peterson was unopposed in the firs-ever popular vote for the chair's position.
submitted photo / Clackamas Review
Milwaukie Mayor Jim Bernard will start next year sitting with a new group of elected officials.
Bernard scored an easy victory over Ron Adams, a former legislator from West Linn, in his bid for Clackamas County Commissioner last week. He’ll be joined on the board by Wilsonville Mayor Charlotte Lehan, who beat Clackamas businessman Dave Mowry.
Bernard secured 54 percent of the vote to Adams 45 percent, while Lehan won by a 52 to 47 percent margin.
“I’m pretty excited, can’t wait to get started, but I’ve got a lot to get done in Milwaukie first. I look forward to the next month and so many days and working with City Council to finish up a few items and then move on to the greater county,” Bernard said.
Bernard and Lehan were both supported by the current county commissioners, and while the five commissioner positions are non-partisan, the four commissioners will now be Democrats. Commissioner Martha Schrader won reelection in the primary, and Commissioner Lynn Peterson was uncontested in her race for the board chair position.
“If you think this was a non-partisan race I give you permission to get a grip on reality,” Adams said after falling to Bernard.
The board will appoint someone to fill Peterson’s current seat. While some frontrunners have emerged, Peterson said staff predicts 60 people will apply for the seat. She said she’s keeping an open mind, but voters have clearly expressed a desire to see someone from the eastern portion of the county. The newly elected commissioners all live in or around one of the county’s western cities.
“Since we didn’t go to districts, people would certainly like to see somebody form the rural part of the county,” Peterson said, though she noted that wouldn’t be a specific criteria for the job. Earlier this year, Estacada Mayor Bob Austin and Sandy Mayor Linda Malone both expressed interest in the seat. Austin did not run for reelection in Estacada.
The campaign for county commissioner was a relatively quiet one. Only in the past month, as candidates attended a number of forums, did the race heat up in any way. During that time, Adams worked to establish himself as a voice for unincorporated voters, and drew support from opponents of the liquefied Natural gas pipeline, which he vocally opposed. Mowry sought to establish himself as a pro-business candidate who could work outside the realm of politics.
The new county commission will take their seats in January.
Seeking applicants for appointment
The county will expand to five members effective Jan. 1.
For the first time, the board's chair has been chosen by countywide election rather than being appointed by other commissioners. Since County Commissioner Lynn Peterson has become the first elected Chair, she is surrendering her current seat. A replacement is needed to serve until the next county election in 2010.
Previously when such a vacancy occurred, the political party of the departing commissioner chose the replacement. But under the new non-partisan system, there will be an open recruitment process to fill the seat.
Any registered Clackamas County voter who has been a county resident at least 12 months is eligible to apply. Application forms can be found on the county’s Web site under the Jobs link (www.clackamas.us/des/jobsinfo.jsp) starting Nov. 10. The recruitment period closes midnight Dec. 10.
Commissioners will review all applications, narrow down the field and conduct candidate interviews Jan. 7 and, if needed, Jan. 8. More information about the process can be found at the county’s Web page www.clackamas.us.
Anyone with questions about the recruitment process or potential applicants without internet access can contact Krista Weatherford at Clackamas County’s Department of Employee Services, at 503-655-8276.