By NATHAN WILK/KLCC News and Lincoln Chronicle
There is an election going on around the state this month but some special district races – especially in Lincoln County – are missing some candidates.
Special districts oversee local services like water, fire, roads and sewer systems. They’re largely made up of elected volunteers who receive limited payment, according to Frank Stratton, executive director of the Special Districts Association of Oregon.
Now, Stratton said it’s getting harder to find people to run, especially in rural districts with a small pool of people to choose from.
“The Greatest Generation were extremely involved in all of these issues and giving back to their communities,” said Stratton. “And now that they’re passing on, younger generations don’t have the same commitment to being involved and giving up their free time. And people’s lives are much busier now.”
In Lincoln County more than 21 percent of special district seats up for election had no candidates file. And many others have just one person running unopposed.
These districts range from a seat on the Beverly Beach Water District board, three positions available on the Carmel Beach Water District board, or seats on the Lower Siletz Water District and on the Devils Lake Water Improvement District. In addition, five of the many road districts in the county have open seats with no candidates, and the Salishan Sanitary District, which has no candidates for two positions. Most of the fire districts in the county have candidates running unopposed.
Lincoln County Clerk Amy Southwell said some of those positions are on boards that no longer exist, but didn’t follow the county’s process to disband.
There are five open positions for the Cape Foulweather Sanitary District, for example, and no candidates have filed to run.
A former board member with the district, Paul Erskine, told KLCC that it dissolved several years ago, and liquidated its funds into the nearby Otter Rock Water District.
Erskine said he believed Cape Foulweather had taken the proper steps to be removed from the ballot. He said while a candidate could technically be written in for one of these positions, a new board would have no funding or tax base to work with.
“They’d have a difficult time reaching quorum,” said Erskine.
If a special district seat isn’t filled, the remainder of a board can appoint someone. Stratton said if they can’t meet quorum to do so, or can’t decide on an applicant, the decision goes to the local county commissioners.
“It’s pretty rare that they can’t fill a vacancy,” said Stratton. “It seems like they’re ultimately able to get somebody in the community to come out to volunteer to serve on the board.”
Stratton said it’s a missed opportunity when no one files for a seat. He said while the ethics and transparency requirements can be intimidating, these roles are a grassroots way of getting involved in local government.
- This story originally appeared on KLCC, a nonprofit public radio station in Eugene and a news partner of Lincoln Chronicle.
On a related note, many of the candidates on the ballot did not submit any info to the voters guide. I believe it costs money, but not positive. But how are folks supposed to know who they are if they don’t know them personally? Even when running unopposed, I still want to know who they are and what they look like. I think half of my ballot had folks with no information.