HB 2537 Would change county board members to non-partisan positions

HB 2537 VOTE:NO – Died In Committee

Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/HB2537
Committee assigned to bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Committees/HRULES/Overview

Requires counties not governed by a home-rule charter to change the governing body to a non-partisan board of five elected commissioners with structure provided by county ordinance.

Limited Government
An attempt to standardize counties is an overreach of the state and only takes away the power for counties to self-rule as voters see fit. Counties that retain a Court Rule with three-member boards remain that way for efficiency in a poor county. Forcing these counties to five board members isn’t being responsible.

Local Control
Only 6 counties currently have 5 board members. Four exempt counties have 3-member boards under a Home Rule Charter and two of those counties hold partisan elections in their Charter. The push is towards Home Rule Charters, which this bill might advance to preserve county control. Eight counties are still Court run with a County judge as chair of a three-member board. Six counties have partisan elections.