The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) policy steering committees met June 17-18, to deliberate and make recommendations to the AOC Legislative Committee for the short list of top-priority policy objectives for the 2025 Oregon State Legislative session. The AOC Legislative Committee ultimately adopted five priorities, which make up the 2025 AOC Policy Priority Platform (View PDF). The following priorities all speak to AOC’s overarching state-county partnership goal – counties provide essential public services to all Oregonians and must be supported by adequate resources and appropriate authority.
Governance and Revenue
- Sustain and protect the property tax asset to the benefit of all property owners and taxing districts through adequate, equitable, and stable funding for county assessment and taxation programs.
Health and Human Services
- Provide counties with the resources to address Oregon’s addiction and homelessness crises by removing administrative burdens and funding county public health and behavioral health services, deflection programs, and local homelessness response coordination for youth and adults.
Natural Resources
- Protect and strengthen county authority, funding, and flexibility in managing local natural resource policies.
Public Safety
- Fully fund a revised community corrections formula that accurately reflects the costs incurred by counties.
Transportation
- Ensure a comprehensive transportation funding package prioritizes investments in operations, maintenance, and safety; incorporates diverse and modern funding mechanisms to ensure the growth and stabilization of the State Highway Fund (SHF); maintains the 30% county share of SHF revenues; and reduces barriers to local revenue sources.
Over 30 hours of steering committee meetings, held between April and June, informed these priorities. State agency directors, Governor Kotek’s policy staff, state agency commission chairs, and stakeholder partners joined our members for deep dives into the issues facing Oregon’s 36 counties. Throughout these meetings, AOC steering committees identified the most pressing items with a direct impact on county governance, budgets, and services. The AOC Legislative Affairs Department will engage on hundreds of bills with potential impacts to counties during the 2025 session and will continue to bring issues forward to our membership through the AOC policy process. The next AOC day will be Monday, Sept. 9, with steering committees also meeting on Friday, Sept. 6. Stay updated on all AOC meetings and events with the calendar on AOC’s website.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director