Drawing a distinct line in the sand

Voters preparing to cast a vote in the contest for Coos County Commission Position No. 1 cannot complain of a lack of choice or a clear dividing line.

The race between candidates John Griffith and Bob Main is a case study in opposites. Griffith, the two-term incumbent, and Main, the Coos County assessor, take varying stances on the county budget, the possibility of an liquefied natural gas terminal on Coos Bay’s North Spit and what would serve as permanent solution to the county’s budget crisis brought on the expiration of federal timber payments.

Both have strong opinions. Both make their arguments clearly. Although public appearances at candidate forums have not been fiery, Main and Griffith have made it clear they would take different approaches in managing the county.

Challenger says he will be the voice of the people

Bob Main has been the Coos County assessor for seven years, and now he wants bring his office management philosophy — which reads a bit like the golden rule — to the entire county government. As a candidate for commission Position No. 1, he said he’ll make it his mission to treat people like you would like to be treated.

Listening to voters

Hearing and acting by the voice of the people is important, Main said.

If elected, he intends to do a lot of listening.

People should be given more opportunity to speak at meetings, he said. He also is in favor of allowing Coos County voters the opportunity to express their opinions on whether to place liquefied natural gas terminal on the North Spit. He said he believes the county commissioners should have allowed an advisory vote as part of the decision-making process.

“I would like to know what people think before I go and do something,” Main said.

Budget

When it comes to the county budget, Main said there were many places where he thinks money could have been managed more efficiently. The county could have saved money by not opting to purchase new assessment software, he said. The software could have been used for a few more years and could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in this year’s budget. Also, he questioned the need for the county to remodel a building in downtown Coquille to replace an annex, also located in Coquille, when, in his opinion, the annex could have been fixed for less money.

“There are  lots of smaller amounts of money that would have made a lot of difference,” he said. “In lean times, you have to make every dollar count.”

Main also feels the current commissioners should have used some of the money from the one-year extension of the federal in-lieu payments to ease the pain of budget cuts, especially to law enforcement.

According to Main, cuts in the sheriff’s office and jail affect everyone.

Cities have police forces, but anyone arrested for a crime is taken to the county jail. Making severe cuts in patrol deputies and jail capacity makes it easier from criminals to get away with crimes, he said.

“We have to maintain law and order for citizens to make them feel safe,” he said.

Ultimately, that means replacing positions, which is why Main is in favor of a tax levy being proposed for the November ballot that would partially fund county law enforcement agencies.

Permanent solutions

Public safety is not the only part of county government in need of help.

Main contends if federal in-lieu payments are not reinstated again this year,  he is authorized by an act passed in 1939 regarding assessment of the Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands to put those lands on the tax roll and collect taxes from the owner, the federal government. He said the county assessor’s office intends to send the feds a tax bill.

“They will pay,” he said.

If they pay, such a move would replace up to $1 million of the $6 million hole left in the county’s budget from payments expiring.

To make up the rest Main is proposing another idea involving the Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands. Main’s proposal seek ownership of those lands — all approximately 60,000 acres within Coos County. Main hasn’t established a firm plan to accomplish that goal yet, but he said it would entail lobbying federal legislators and drafting a bill that would transfer ownership to the county.

“Whether that has a chance, I don’t know,” he said. “But it is certainly worth a try.”

The chances of the transfer may increase if enough local people expressed support of it, he said, such as through a petition.

“We are the federal government. We are the state government. We are the county government,” he said. “Each individual can make a difference.”

Finding a good fit

Also regarding LNG, Main is concerned many of the people hired to work at the terminal would be from out of the area.

Development on the North Spit, and everywhere else in the county, according to Main, should complement with the area’s way of life, not become a contentious debate.

He used the example of the Southport Forest Products sawmill, which opened in 2005.

“It’s a great fit,” Main said. “It would be great fit in similar areas of the county.”

Main thinks his philosophy and management ideas would be a good fit for office and has enjoyed the campaign so far.

“I like doing this, running for office,” he said. “It’s a challenge. I like a challenge. I can’t wait to see the results on the 20th.”