Commissioners Remain Split Over Vacancy Appointment

Vacant Seat Remains Unfilled

NEWPORT - Lincoln County’s two remaining commissioners remain divided over how to fill the vacant Position 2 seat on the Board of Commissioners, leaving the three-member board with only two voting members.

The seat has been vacant since the death of Commissioner Claire Hall in January. At the Board’s June 24 meeting, Commissioner Casey Miller and Commissioner Walter Chuck again reviewed their differing views on how to complete the appointment (watch).

Commissioners Revisit Process

Miller opened the discussion by summarizing the prior meeting. He said he had suggested appointing Commissioner-elect Curtis Landers, while Chuck had objected that doing so would move away from the process already underway and would be unfair to applicants who had participated.

Chuck said the Board should finish the process it started and focus on the two applicants who were interviewed. He said Cristen Don would be his choice for the interim appointment, calling her qualified and “a good addition” to the Board.

Miller asked whether Chuck would consider Marci Baker or any other applicants. Chuck said the Board had already discussed the applicants, interviewed the two remaining candidates, and that Don remained his choice.

Election-Neutrality Concerns Raised

Miller said he continued to oppose appointing Don at this time, largely because of election-neutrality concerns. Don finished first in the May primary for Position 2, but did not receive enough votes to win outright and is expected to face Joe Steere in the November general election.

Miller said Baker could also serve, and suggested the Board could “go back to the drawing board” if neither commissioner could support the other’s preferred applicant. Chuck responded that Don had performed strongly in the election and remained his preferred choice.

No Appointment Made

The discussion ended without a motion or appointment. Miller said he wanted to keep the issue on the agenda and would propose a framework for the commissioners to review in hopes of finding consensus.

The vacancy discussion was the only substantive decision item that drew extended Board discussion, though commissioners also approved a Community Justice proclamation and consent calendar items, including the county’s Emergency Operations Plan.

No public comment was taken at the end of the meeting. Staff said no one had signed up by the noon deadline the previous day. Although at least one person signed up after that deadline, that person was not called to speak under the staff-established public comment rules.

The disagreement highlights a broader governance challenge for Lincoln County. A two-member Board can still conduct county business, but a vacancy limits the Board’s ability to resolve disagreements, spread workload, and provide full representation to the public.

The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, at 10 a.m. Chuck noted there is only one regular Board meeting scheduled in July.