This month, the State hit the one year marker for the “Stay Home, Save Lives” order due to the global pandemic. The State, in partnership with counties, hospitals, and other providers has delivered one vaccine shot to over one million Oregonians, and has administered over 1.5 million first and second doses.
Prioritization of vaccine delivery is moving toward broader eligibility, with all Oregonians 16 years of age or older eligible for vaccination starting on May 1, 2021.
Throughout the pandemic, Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has been dedicated to providing critical member services to help Oregon’s 36 counties navigate the complexities involved with health, testing, regulatory changes, economic impact, resource management, advocacy, vaccines, and other critical information.
Below are key areas AOC has been focused on.
Advocacy
During the month of March, AOC staff has continued to advocate with the Oregon Legislature and governor’s office to ensure needs of counties are met as executive and legislative actions are considered.
AOC staff and members successfully advocated with the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) and partnered with the Oregon Department of Transportation in securing fair and equitable distribution of the $124 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars provided to the State by Congress at the end of 2020. The commission set aside $56 million for local governments—45 percent of the funding—based on the city and county share of the State Highway Fund (SHF), a major win for counties as SHF revenues have declined during the pandemic and economic recession.
AOC also worked with federal partner, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and members of Oregon’s federal delegation on advocacy for the American Rescue Plan and its implementation. Signed into law on March 11, 2021, the $1.9 trillion package is intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including offering supports for public health and mitigating the devastating economic impacts associated with the pandemic. As part of the $362 billion in federal fiscal recovery aid for state and local governments, $65.1 billion is provided in direct aid to counties and an additional $1.5 billion for public land counties. AOC continues to engage with members of the federal delegation and NACo on implementation needs for counties.
Communications
Over the course of the pandemic, AOC has communicated on a number of issues related to the pandemic, including providing regular updates to county officials on federal, State, and regulatory action, as well as funding opportunities that impact Oregonians. Since March, AOC has distributed over 170 special COVID-19 related briefings and news alerts to county commissioners, judges, chairs, and administrators.
Information Sharing
AOC has and continues to work with State and federal partners, including NACo to ensure counties have been able to ask questions and provide input on regulations and mitigation efforts.
Key information sharing options AOC has coordinated:
- Weekly agency partners call (49 have been held since March).
- Monthly AOC meetings.
- Regular calls with the governor’s office.
Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate