August 25, 2020 10:45 a.m.

Douglas County Commissioners are at odds with the Association of Oregon Counties, in its response to recent remarks by Oregon Governor Kate Brown

A release from the local Board of Commissioners, said that they “Wanted to clearly state that AOC does not speak on behalf of Douglas County, nor did they ask for or obtain approval from any of our Douglas County Commissioners prior to releasing their statement”.

The AOC release said increased expectations for counties announced by the governor require additional resources that the state has yet to distribute.

In contrast, the local release said Douglas County Commissioners don’t support the idea of the County being the entity for enforcing state issued COVID guidelines. The release said “…it is paramount for State officials to provide easy to understand, timely access to information, resources and medical guidance in order to educate residents about COVID that allows them to make informed, responsible decisions”.

The release said Douglas County Commissioners believe it is impossible for the State to understand all the unique needs and complexities of each county. It said the State “should not question our ability to meet the needs of our constituents, instead they should support and coordinate with the Commissioners in each of our Counties”.

The AOC release described counties as being partners with the state, “…delivering critical services on their behalf”.

The county release said that commissioners “…are the ones with local boots-on-the-ground coordinating our local Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team” supporting various activities conducted by the Douglas Public Health Network.

Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice will talk about the issue on Wednesdays Inside Douglas County on News Radio 1240 KQEN.