04/04/2026
A lot of work has been happening between Commissioner Trost, Commissioner Coker and myself in regard to correcting all the wrongdoing that has happened to our county's operations and finances. While attending all the BOC meetings while I was campaigning a couple years ago, I was able to learn much back then regarding the budget and how the County operated as a whole, and to be honest it was shocking the level of wrongdoing. This is why back then I called for there to be a forensic audit on all county finances and operations. It was also shocking to me that when I called for this to be done, I was immediately verbally attacked and criticized by our Sheriff and many within the Sheriff's Office. All that made me do was think to myself...well that's odd, wonder why they wouldn't want to be transparent with the public on the finances? Well, there is an old quote that says, "if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, looks like a duck, then it's probably a duck."
As items continue to be exposed from this forensic audit, it will unfortunately affect many people within the County. Some that are directly involved, some that are not and for those who have blind loyalties. People will be shocked, surprised, saddened and angry, but us Commissioners have a fiduciary responsibility to report all the wrongdoing and to be transparent with the public. We are cleaning up the mess that has been Curry County for decades, we are undeterred and more motivated than ever to bring progress and prosperity back to Curry County, but first we have to expose all the bad, hold those accountable, correct policies and procedures, get our finances stable and sustainable, and create a strong long-lasting foundation for us to build on for generations to come. It's a long process, honestly, wish it was faster, but we are being extremely thorough and ensuring we are following ORS and all applicable laws. Yes, we are spending money on attorneys and legal fees, but it is an absolute must in order to fix our County at this stage. We are very fortunate to have a strong team of legal professionals, and they are worth their weight in this critical process.
More and more information is coming to light and if you follow our meetings and discussions you will begin to understand more of what we are doing and why. We all appreciate the outpouring of support in our mission and know that what we are doing is for the good of our County and all the folks that live here!
