May 28, 2026 | AOC News
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Committee and steering committees will meet June 29 and 30 in Sisters, Ore. to consider and adopt AOC’s policy priority platform and the policy principles that will guide AOC’s advocacy in Oregon’s 2027-2028 legislative biennium.
AOC’s priority policy items represent pressing issues with a strong nexus to county budgets, services, and governance that unite all Oregon counties.
Since the Legislature adjourned sine die in March, AOC steering committees have engaged in 24 hours of collective information gathering and dialogue to prepare for the priority-setting meetings. During these meetings, co-chairs invited various stakeholders, state agencies, affiliates, and subject matter experts to provide in-depth presentations and participate in Q&A sessions.
By adopting official positions on policy proposals, principles, and setting biennial priorities, the Legislative Committee directs the organization’s advocacy efforts.
Membership of the Legislative Committee includes the AOC Board of Directors, one additional member from each of the eight AOC districts, the co-chairs of each steering committee, one district attorney, and any additional members the board chooses to appoint. A 67% majority of members voting may take action on recommendations from the steering committees.
AOC steering committees analyze policy proposals, formulate policy solutions, discuss best practices, and advise the Legislative Committee on policy positions, principles, and priorities. Steering committees are co-chaired by county commissioners appointed every year by the AOC president, with meetings open to all AOC members. Every AOC member present at a steering committee meeting can vote on action items and help shape AOC’s policy platform.
AOC steering committee recordings, agendas, and supplemental materials can be found on the AOC website within each policy portfolio:
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
May 1, 2026 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, OACES, Transportation
On Friday, May 1, Gov. Kotek’s Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup convened in Salem for its first meeting. Kotek appointed Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee, to represent the association on her Workgroup.
The Workgroup is charged with developing a report to the governor and a framework for a comprehensive transportation package for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.
AOC staff joined representatives from the Oregon Department of Transportation and League of Oregon Cities at the kick-off meeting for a joint presentation and question and answer session on the condition of the state and local transportation system.
All meetings will be streamed live on Oregon Department of Transportation’s YouTube page and recordings will be posted on the Workgroup home page. More details on the first meeting and a link to sign up for notifications about future meetings are available in this press release from the governor’s office.
County commissioners, OACES members, and AOC staff will engage directly in this process. They will contribute through the workgroup and the technical advisory subgroups, which are tasked with informing the workgroup and, ultimately, crafting the report to the governor. AOC will provide regular updates at their Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee meetings and OACES meetings.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
May 1, 2026 | AOC News
National County Government Month, held annually in April, provides an opportunity to recognize the vital work of counties. As part of this celebration, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) launched a social media campaign spotlighting the critical services that counties provide to their residents. Over the course of the month, we highlighted several core services counties deliver, including:
- Managing 62% of the state’s non-federal public road system
- Operating recycling programs and educating residents and businesses about waste reduction
- Protecting our residents and communities by administering immunizations, managing communicable diseases, providing behavioral health and substance use services, and supporting first-time mothers
- Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of our democracy by maintaining ассurаtе vоtеr rеgіstrаtіоn records and ensuring thаt аll eligible voters аrе registered, preparing and mailing ballots, and collecting and counting all votes
- Operating and maintaining county detention and court facilities and responding to disasters and emergencies
Thank you to members who joined this year’s celebration and engaged with our social media content. Your collaboration helps improve the public’s understanding of the value of county government and the essential services it provides. We also would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all our members and county staff for the critical work you perform every day.
Although National County Government Month has come to a close, we are committed to highlighting the vital role counties play in shaping healthy, vibrant, and safe communities across Oregon. Moving forward, we will continue this effort by advocating for county interests, communicating their impact, and educating the public and our members on the crucial work counties perform.
Want to help elevate the important work happening in all 36 counties? Below are some helpful resources for counties to use in your storytelling efforts.
In addition, the National Association of Counties offers tools to help counties communicate the importance of county government.
- “We Are Counties” Campaign
- A three-year campaign to highlight the role counties play across every part of community life. NACo’s participation toolkit features ready-to-use “Did you know” graphics, sample social media posts, press release templates, and more.
- County Explorer Data
- An interactive mapping tool featuring the latest available data for all 3,069 U.S. counties across 14 categories, more than 100 datasets, over 1,000 indicators and more than 10 types of county and state profiles.
- County Governance Project
- A comprehensive guide to county government structure, authority, services and finances. Dig into individualized state profiles and the national database to learn about the intricacies of county governance by state, share information with policymakers and educate the public on the importance of counties.
- County Landscape Project
- Whether examining the organizational structures, financial frameworks, services or intergovernmental roles of counties, the project serves as a critical reference for understanding county government at its core.
- Counties Work Educational Game and Curriculum
- NACo, together with iCivics, has created an online game and curriculum to educate students grade levels 6-12 about the important role and functions of county government.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
May 1, 2026 | AOC News, Health & Human Services
In case you missed it: April 17 Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) on Health and Human Services (Meeting recording; Chat transcript)
Rural Health Initiatives; Catalyst Grant Applications Due May 26
The Office of Rural Health kicked off the April 17 LGAC meeting with an update on Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Workforce Recruitment and Retention/Mobile Integrated Health Programs in Rural Communities. Oregon’s 2024-2029 federal grant provides annual scholarships for EMS education, barrier removal for students, billing and coding workshops, leadership training, and other workforce development and retention costs. A new four-year ($250,000/year) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant will support the Rural Oregon Mobile Integrated Health Program consortium, including technical assistance to expand mobile integrated service capacity to more rural communities.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) provided an update on the rollout of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) which is slated to receive about $200 million in federal grant funds per year for the next five years. “Rural” is defined as “outside a 10-mile radius of a 40,000+ population center.”
Of note for counties, up to 80 competitive Phase I (FY 2026-2027) “Catalyst” grants will be awarded this summer, ranging from $200,000 to $499,000. Applications are due May 26 at 3 p.m. PST. Additionally, the Conference of Local Health Officials this month approved a carve out in the RHTP for local public health programs to support rural health transformation program goals.
2026 Legislative Session Debriefs with ODHS and OHA
Agency staff provided post-session summaries from the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Oregon Medicaid Benefits and Payments Reform
Dr. Bruce Goldberg provided an update on the governor’s Medicaid sustainability workgroup. The workgroup is currently deliberating toward a set of recommendations to mitigate the destabilizing effects of H.R.1 on Medicaid enrollment and funding, including an estimated loss of $3.4 billion in federal funds in the 2027-2029 biennium. Goldberg noted that the starting principle is to maintain enrollment, which means the remaining levers for closing the funding gap are benefits and provider payments. Ideas under consideration include strategic investments in housing to lower hospital utilization and cost containment via reduction of administrative burden.
The workgroup has identified cost drivers to be increased hospital and drug prices and increased utilization of behavioral health services, though a more precise analysis of the behavioral health utilization by provider type (out-of-state telehealth, in-state private providers, and community mental health program services, etc.) is needed. Community mental health program directors offered solutions, including greater capitalization on Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics for enhanced funding and cost containment, reduction of administrative burden to increase local service capacity and correcting OHA’s interpretation of the federal Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion which is currently leading to treatment facility closure and preventing newly funded facilities from opening.
Workgroup members include hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Coordinated Care Organizations, physician and labor representatives, but no representatives from a local mental health authority or a local public health authority. This is surprising in light of the crucial role that community mental health programs and local public health programs play in bending the state’s health care cost curve and serving the most at risk Oregonians.
A public comment period will open after the final report is submitted to the governor in June, with the stated purpose of informing the governor’s recommended budget. LGAC is slated to invite the governor’s staff to its July 24 meeting to provide local system partner perspectives and recommendations on that work.
Upcoming Topics for Spring and Summer LGAC Meetings
Also slated for this spring and summer at the LGAC are discussions with the Department of Housing and Community Services on housing and homeless services programs coordination and operations, with the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management on preparation for the upcoming wildfire season, with OHA and ODHS on operationalizing new Medicaid eligibility requirements, and with OHA on the future of Public Health Modernization and coordinated communicable disease prevention and response.
Contributed by: Jessica Pratt | Legislative Affairs Manager
Apr 29, 2026 | AOC News
From now until May 22, Business Oregon will be accepting nomination applications for Oregon’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 program.
Oregon’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 program is designed to unlock long-term investment in communities that need it most. Building on the success of the original Opportunity Zone initiative (Opportunity Zone 1.0 or OZ 1.0), this updated program offers enhanced incentives and transparency to ensure that private capital drives real, measurable improvements in housing, jobs, and infrastructure across the state.
Business Oregon partners with local governments and stakeholders to identify eligible census tracts, guide investors, and ensure projects align with statewide economic development priorities.
Counties are encouraged to review Oregon’s eligible tract list to determine if census tracts in your community could benefit from the program. Please refer to the “How to Nominate an Eligible Tract” section of Business Oregon’s Opportunity Zone website for more information on how to participate in the process. If your county is ready to request application materials, you can begin the process by filling out this form.
Lastly, Business Oregon has been providing engagement opportunities for local governments and investors to review and participate in as Oregon prepares for the Opportunity Zones 2.0 selection process. The following webinar recordings are available:
Support is also available by attending Opportunity Zone Office Hours to ask general questions and receive guidance on the nomination process from Business Oregon staff. Upcoming office hours are below:
- Opportunity Zone Office Hours: May 6 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM PDT
- Opportunity Zone Office Hours: May 14 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM PDT
- Opportunity Zone Office Hours: May 19 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM PDT
- Opportunity Zone Office Hours: May 22 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM PDT
Contributed by: Justin Low | Legislative Affairs Manager
Apr 22, 2026 | AOC News, Public Safety & Veterans
The Statewide Resilience Forum, run by the governor’s office, is about halfway through its process for creating a Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO), a statewide strategy to improve community resilience to all types of disasters. It is a follow-up to the Cascadia-focused Oregon Resilience Plan from 2013. Staff from the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) are engaged in this process, as a steering committee member representing local governments.
Listening sessions and focus groups have been conducted across the state by community-based organizations contracted to get broad public input into this plan from community members, with support from Oregon State University staff. We have received the first wave of community input and seven themes have emerged as focus areas – climate change, wildfire, tribal perspective, transportation, communication, emergency response, and long-term recovery.
The next steps for the forum members and PRO staff are to dive into the specific feedback and prioritize areas for budgetary development and legislative concepts. One of the overarching goals for the PRO is to build resilience planning into the state budget development process for executive branch agencies, so that they will think about items like asset management or disaster preparedness when building out their funding requests. The full report is due in September, followed by an October resilience forum to advance the report.
As the frequency and intensity of all-hazards disasters continue to increase across the state and as we head into what is likely to be a very difficult wildfire season, this plan is an opportunity to prioritize preparedness and resilience throughout the state and drive investment decisions in both communities and infrastructure. More information can be found on the PRO website.
Contributed by: Tim Dooley | Legislative Affairs Manager
