Sep 4, 2026 | Events
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) will hold its 2026 Annual Conference on Nov. 17-19, in Lane County. As the premier gathering for over 700 Oregon leaders, this event is dedicated to enhancing county government efficiency and improving the quality of life for all residents. This year’s conference is a momentous occasion, marking the 120th anniversary of the association’s commitment to uniting Oregon’s 36 counties.
Programming this year focuses on the presidential initiative, Rethinking County Revenue. Led by AOC President and Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar, this year-long initiative confronts the growing revenue crisis by fostering information sharing and cross-county collaboration on sustainable financial solutions, optimization, and cost-cutting strategies.
“I am looking forward to the upcoming conference and the opportunity to bring us all together to move beyond identifying revenue challenges and start delivering collaborative, sustainable solutions for our counties,” said President Skaar.
The conference kicks off with a dynamic panel discussion led by the National Association of Counties (NACo) CEO and Executive Director Matt Chase. Titled “Stronger Together: Resilient Counties in a Changing World,” this session brings together notable commissioners from across the nation to discuss innovative leadership, fresh approaches, and the partnerships necessary to address today’s critical challenges.
Throughout the three-day conference, sessions will center on critical issues affecting counties, focusing on policy and legislation related to county budgets, services, and governance. Concurrent sessions will cover topics ranging from transportation and land use to disaster recovery and energy.
In addition to structured sessions, the conference offers valuable networking opportunities, including the Federal and State Agency Meet and Greet and ‘Wander Oregon,’ a unique showcase of artisanal food, beverages, and products from counties across the state.
For a complete list of confirmed sessions, please view the preliminary agenda. Future updates will be available on the AOC conference webpage.
To secure your spot, complete your online registration by Nov.1.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Sep 4, 2026 | Health & Human Services
Between a quarter and one half of your constituents are likely covered by Medicaid. This month, over 600,000 Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) members will receive the first notices about new federal work requirements via mail and email. These notices may prompt residents of your county to reach out to your office with questions. In order to provide help, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) developed this constituent services fact sheet.
In it, you will find a timeline of the notices and requirements along with resources for getting help to your constituents. Additionally, you will find answers to more common questions that you may receive.
If you would like to proactively help get the word out through your county social media or other communication channels, you can draw from this growing toolkit of fact sheets, flyers, social cards and notices.
Agency Request Budgets Online
Register for OHA’s 2027 Legislative Session Road Show Presentation
Provided by the Oregon Health Authority
Every year, the Oregon Health Authority Government Relations team goes on a virtual road show to share Oregon Health Authority’s legislative concepts (LCs) and highlights of our policy option packages (POPs). In short, we will share the agency’s agenda for the 2027 legislative session. This road show kicks off in September with two “All-Comers” meetings for community organizations and partners. Both presentations will be the same, and both will be recorded. If you cannot make these times, please note that the recordings will be posted alongside one-pagers for each legislative concept on our website. We will also provide a post-presentation survey to registrants to share feedback on legislative concepts and share policy areas of interest to their organization.
Contributed by: Jessica Pratt | Legislative Affairs Manager
Sep 3, 2026 | Governance, Revenue, & Economic Development
Over the past several months, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has been working alongside our partners at the League of Oregon Cities (LOC), the Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO), and the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) on two parallel efforts aimed at fixing administrative and statutory concerns with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC). One track is working directly with OGEC commissioners to resolve administrative and engagement concerns; the other is a legislative workgroup, led by Rep. Nathan Sosa, that is drafting statutory fixes for the 2027 session.
Track One: Direct Engagement with the Commission
The direct dialogue with OGEC grew out of a joint letter from the four local government organizations in early July. That letter laid out a candid set of concerns: a widening gap between OGEC staff’s public statements and private actions; OGEC interpretations that had drifted far enough from legislative intent that lawmakers had to step in twice during the 2026 short session (HB 4161 and HB 4177) to restore clarity; and FAQ guidance that created confusion in what constitutes a prohibited serial communications meeting. The letter also flagged a data point worth noting: public meetings law cases at OGEC climbed 128% in 2024 and another 46% the year after, yet total fines stayed flat, suggesting the surge in claims wasn’t matched by a surge in actual violations. In light of these issues, the coalition asked for a special meeting with the full OGEC.
This meeting, held in August, proved productive. Executive directors and board members of each local government organization were present at the meeting. AOC was represented by Executive Director Gina Nikkel and Tillamook County Commissioner and President Erin Skaar, who articulated concerns that county commissioners have experienced related to information gathering. The single biggest breakthrough from this dialogue was pinpointing exactly where OGEC and local officials appear to have differing interpretations of the agency’s administrative rules: what counts as “information gathering” and “decision-making” under Oregon’s serial meetings rules. Several OGEC commissioners acknowledged that local officials may be reading the rules more restrictively than OGEC had intended — but that the gap is real and has forced local officials to proceed with an abundance of caution that chills ordinary, necessary contact with peers, partners, and constituents. OGEC and the coalition committed to collaborating on a near-term administrative rule fix and meeting quarterly to strengthen the relationship between OGEC and local officials.
Track Two: The Legislative Workgroup
Parallel to the dialogue with OGEC, a separate legislative workgroup was convened in response to the governor’s veto of HB 4177 earlier this year. This workgroup is a lookback of HB 4177 led by the bill’s primary proponent, Rep.Sosa, and includes representatives from all local government associations, legislative policy staff, the media, and OGEC staff. The legislative workgroup is revisiting the intent of HB 4177, as it relates to training requirements of public officials, the enforcement and remedies that exist for public meetings violations, and the statutory definitions of serial communications as a whole. It is the workgroup’s hope that by having all stakeholders, including members of the media, at the table helping draft this statutory language, consensus can be found to permanently resolve the serial-meetings and information-gathering questions that administrative rule changes alone can’t fully fix and provide relief related to OGEC training and enforcement of public meetings law.
These two tracks are designed to work together: the administrative-rule fixes discussed above for near-term relief and to rebuild the partnership between local governments and OGEC, and the legislative workgroup to establish a clear, statutory answer for public officials, the media, and the public going forward.
AOC will continue to update members as both efforts move forward this fall.
Contributed by: Justin Low | Legislative Affairs Manager
Sep 3, 2026 | County Road Program
After 18 months of development, refinement, and training, the County Road Program’s IRIS Team is excited to announce that all current IRIS-using counties have now migrated to IRIS 10. IRIS, which stands for Integrated Road Information System, is a cost accounting and asset management software package developed and supported by the CRP team and available to all Oregon counties as part of their AOC membership.
IRIS has been in use throughout Oregon since the early 1990’s, and version 10 is the first iteration to be completely web-based. In addition, IRIS 10 also offers a customizable Application Programming Interface (API) to integrate data into existing county systems, as well as improved GIS Integration for easy capture of asset locations within the system.
Following the migration, the IRIS Team will continue to augment and improve IRIS 10 as they focus their attention and resources on system enhancements and user wish list items, such as more user preference options. You can learn more about IRIS at https://www.aociris.org/.
Contributed by: Robert Yde | County Road Program, IT Trainer and Communications Coordinator
Sep 2, 2026 | AOC Business Partner
Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Regence BlueCross BlueShield
Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe in many parts of the country, especially in the summer. When these fires burn, they release harmful particles and pollutants into the air, contributing to poor air quality. Wildfire smoke can be harmful, and certain groups are more vulnerable to its effects, including people with respiratory conditions, children, older adults, and those who are pregnant. By taking simple steps, you can minimize your exposure to wildfire smoke and stay healthy.
Stay informed
The best way to know if the air quality is safe is to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) using AirNow.gov. The AQI translates real time air quality data into numbers and colors to help you make informed decisions about your outdoor activities. You can enter your zip code or city name to see the AQI for your location. Many smartphone weather apps also share AQI data.
Reduce exposure
When air quality is poor, follow these tips to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke:
- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed.
- Reduce intense outdoor physical activity.
- To reduce indoor air pollution, refrain from smoking indoors, vacuuming, using wood stoves or fireplaces and frying food.
- Use central air conditioners or heaters to filter the air. A home’s heater or air conditioner set to the fan mode may be able to filter out some particles by re-circulating the indoor air through the filter.
- Use air purifiers with HEPA (PM2.5) filters to remove fine particles from the air.
- When driving, keep windows closed, run the air conditioner, and set the air to recirculate to reduce smoke.
- If you need to go outside, wear a disposable respirator mask rated N95 or higher to inhale less pollution.
Manage respiratory conditions
If you have a respiratory condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), take extra precautions:
We’re here to help
If you’re a Regence BlueCross BlueShield member and you need help finding a provider, we’re here to support you. Use our provider search to find a provider in your network. Check out our virtual health choices if you prefer telehealth. If you are insured in other ways and have questions about your health plan or need help using your benefits, please contact the customer service at your health plan.
