Morgan Schmidt for Deschutes County Commissioner 3 (2022)

A portrait photo of a woman from the waist up. She has blonde, shoulder-length hair, glasses, and is standing with her arms crossed in front of her. She is wearing a black blazer and a white shirt. She is in the middle of a natural field with yellow bushes, and in the distance are a dark green forest and blue mountains.

 

The governing role of the Deschutes County Commission is extensive and expansive: to oversee services, policies, and public funds for people, lands, and waters; to approve the county’s $670M budget; to function as the public health and mental/behavioral health authorities; to oversee non-city land use planning, community development,  community justice, the state court, county clerk, elections, the DA’s and Sheriff’s offices, veterans’ services, fire preparedness, the Expo Center, and county roads and maintenance. 

Sierra Club strongly believes Morgan Schmidt is well positioned to take on this critical work, based on her foundational fifteen years of public service, tough-mindedness, brains, and resolve, along with her approach to issues with intelligent compassion, diligence, fair judgment, and data-backed research. Morgan Schmidt’s candidacy for County Commissioner position 3 arises from her deep concern for the welfare of all inhabitants of Deschutes County. 

Housing, homelessness, land use and growth, expanded access to mental health, and fiscally strategic investments for the future are Morgan’s top priorities as County Commissioner. She will work to build effective and coordinated relationships with stakeholders. She will facilitate county land contributions for affordable and workforce housing and will incentivize longer term rentals. 

On homelessness, as a commissioner Morgan will work with the Office on Homelessness to coordinate services, to identify efficiencies, safe camping, and parking locations while housing options are pursued, and to develop an emergency shelter response plan for extreme weather conditions.

Schmidt’s other priorities include fire mitigation and resiliency; improved services for veterans, children, and families; and a Deschutes County with livable cities “while preserving the forests, farmland, waters and open spaces that we all love,” where everyone can thrive. 

Sierra Club strongly endorses Morgan Schmidt as the best candidate for Position Three that the county needs to assume the responsibilities of County Commissioner capably and successfully. To learn more about and support Morgan’s campaign, views, and policies, visit her website at morganlovesoregon.com.

 

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