GOLD BEACH – The Curry County Board of Commissioners at a special meeting Wednesday removed Greg Empson as a member of the Citizens’ Committee after Empson filed as a candidate for the commission.

The committee was created and started meeting earlier this month to explore options to address the county’s pending financial crisis 

Commissioner David Itzen said that when the committee was formed, the commissioners purposely decided that no one running for commissioner should be appointed. At least two already announced candidates for commissioner had applied.

 “Typically people running for office have a different floor to state their opinions,” Commissioner George Rhodes said.

“All along, it was my understanding we would not appoint anyone to the committee who stood for public office,” Rhodes said.

“We encourage all citizens to attend the committee meetings. They can still be part of the process,” Itzen said.

Empson spoke at Wednesday’s meeting and said that before applying to be a member of the committee he told Commissioner Bill Waddle of his intent to run for the County Commission.

“I told him that I was going to run against him and would voluntarily recuse myself from the committee if he wanted me to do so,” Empson said. “He said it was totally my decision and therefore I decided not to step down and I attended the first Citizens’ Committee meeting.”

Empson said a heated debate ensued at the Dec. 8 Republican Central Committee meeting, attended by Waddle and Itzen, after he was asked for his opinion as to the purpose of the Citizens’ Committee.

“I was told by Commissioner Itzen that he would have me removed from the Citizens’ Committee,” Empson said.

“Does running for public office exclude me from having noteworthy ideas to offer the Citizens’ Committee regarding the future of our county,” Empson said. “If you are worried about someone using this committee as a political vehicle, you should have more faith in this county’s citizens and wait until someone does so rather than assume someone is going to use it for their own purpose.”

The commissioners then approved an order to remove Empson.

“Michael Mills, project manager of Oregon Consensus recommended that an active candidate for Curry County Commissioner not serve on the committee because of the potential conflict of interest and the public appearance of conflicts,” the order said.

It said the board had discussed the selection of committee members and the need not to politicize the committee’s work and that certain applicants were not chosen because they had already given their notice of intention to run for commissioner.

That order was approved 2-0, with Waddle abstaining.

The commissioners also approved another order removing Mick Lane from the committee after Lane had announced his resignation because of lack of time to attend the meetings.

That order also appointed Christine Stallard, an employee of Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative, to the committee.

Commissioners noted that Coos-Curry CEO Roger Meader had applied to be a member originally, but he was not chosen because he lives outside the county in Bandon.

They said they saw good reasons to have a Coos-Curry representative on the committee, so they appointed Stallard, who does reside in Curry County.

The commissioners stated before appointing the committee that the purpose was to identify and explore all viable revenue and expenditure opportunities to achieve fiscal solvency and stability for Curry County Government now and in the future.

Members of Oregon Consensus at Portland State University helped organize the committee and are working with it.

They hope to have recommendations by February.