Apr 30, 2025 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Transportation
The Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation recently released a framework for the 2025 Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP). New revenue proposed in the framework equates to a 70% increase in statewide county road department funding over current projections. According to the 2024 County Road Needs Study, counties statewide face a $834 million/year funding shortfall – the TRIP framework makes significant progress toward filling that gap.
The TRIP framework aligns with the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Committee’s transportation priority by maintaining the 30% county share and modernizing State Highway Fund (SHF) revenue mechanisms. The framework also directs 90% of all new revenue to safety, maintenance, and preservation across the shared transportation system.
“Advocacy from counties will be critical to maintaining these proposed investments and the county 30% share of the SHF in the final package,” urged Legislative Affairs Director Mallorie Roberts.
While bill language is expected to be released by early May, with public hearings in the Joint Committee on Transportation to follow, negotiations among legislators are already underway. AOC has prepared talking points (linked below) based on AOC’s transportation package priority and principles which can be used as a starting point to engage with the Legislature and the media.
AOC appreciates your advocacy and engagement in this top priority issue for AOC and counties. Please copy AOC Legislative Affairs Director Mallorie Roberts on emails to legislators, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Resources
Apr 30, 2025 | AOC News
Polk County Survey Crew Chief Josh Herzberg, Lincoln County Surveyor Eli Adam, Clatsop County Surveyor Vance Swenson, and Lane County Deputy County Surveyor Trevor Ross (L-R)
House Bill 3175 passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, and Federal and World Affairs this week. The bill lifts the statutory 40-year-old cap on the document recording fees that go to county surveyors’ Public Land Corner Preservation Funds, and now moves to the Senate floor for a vote, then to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Removing the $10 fee cap, which was set in statute in the 1980s, allows boards of county commissioners and county courts to set a document recording fee commensurate to local needs. If passed out of the Senate and signed by the governor, HB 3175 would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
County Public Land Corner Programs are struggling to meet their statutory obligations to maintain public land corners due to the decline of the $10 fee’s value – down 70% since it was set in the 1980s. Modernizing this funding mechanism has been a legislative priority for the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) for nearly 20 years, though past attempts to pass legislation have failed.
Oregon county surveyors have been maintaining and perpetuating the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) – critical public infrastructure established by the federal government in 1785 – since statehood. The PLSS consists of controlling property corners located every half mile, forming the foundation for all public and private real property and resource land boundaries in Oregon. Maintaining these corners is an ongoing process requiring physical inspection and establishment or reestablishment of historical corners still set in trees or with rocks. Over time, corners are destroyed and damaged by natural events, development, and careless human activity. When corners are destroyed or improperly placed, every landowner’s property lines become less certain, resulting in costly boundary disputes and litigation, disorderly development, and emergency response challenges.
HB 3175 was introduced by Representative Marsh (D-Ashland) and Representative Gomberg (D-Otis) on behalf of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES). OACES members Polk County Survey Crew Chief Josh Herzberg, Lincoln County Surveyor Eli Adam, Clatsop County Surveyor Vance Swenson, Lane County Deputy County Surveyor Trevor Ross, and Wasco County Surveyor Bradley Cross testified in the House and Senate Committees.
Contributed by: by Mallorie Roberts | AOC Legislative Affairs Director
Apr 30, 2025 | AOC News, Health & Human Services
Which communities do you belong to? Who is your closest friend? What are your dreams? Who do you consider family?
These were the questions asked of members of the 2025 County College class during an exercise led by a peer support specialist at the Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health. Participants began with a paper star symbolizing their support systems. As points are removed, the pieces represent how losing support can impact a life. The activity helped the group reflect on the lives of individuals receiving care at the hospital and better understand the importance of community and support systems in mental health treatment.
In addition to this exercise, the class toured the Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health, which explores the history of the hospital since its founding in 1862. The museum shares stories of the patients who lived there and traces the evolution of mental health care over time.
This experience was part of the third session of County College, a program by the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) designed to equip new county leaders with training on governance, roles, and responsibilities. The session focused on Health and Human Services — a broad and vital area where counties act as the primary link between state programs and local service delivery. As local mental health and public health authorities, counties are responsible for ensuring that public health, behavioral health, and developmental disability services are responsive to the community’s needs and work in coordination with public safety and other local partners.
“Counties have so many critical responsibilities delegated by the state that it is sometimes hard to track them all,” said Washington County Commissioner Jason Snider. “I really appreciated the thorough sessions on public health, behavioral health, and veteran services. Learning about the long and complicated story of the Oregon State Hospital also helped me connect the current challenges we face with the history of how we got here.”
Throughout the session, participants heard from a variety of agencies that partner with counties to deliver these essential services — including OSU Extension Services, the Oregon Health Authority, the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, and the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials. These discussions offered firsthand insights into the collaborative nature of delivering mental and public health services across the state.
Three county commissioners — AOC President and Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer, Lane County Commissioner Laurie Trieger, and Wasco County Commissioner Phil Brady — shared their experiences in meeting behavioral health needs in their communities, offering lessons learned and success stories.
Veterans services, like health and human services, are delivered through a long-standing state and county partnership. Lincoln County Veteran Services Officer Keith Barnes provided an overview of services and assistance available to all who have served and their families
At the national level, the National Association of Counties (NACo) supports counties in the intergovernmental system. NACo’s Legislative Director Owen Hart discussed how commissioners can influence federal policy and access opportunities and resources. Gregory Nelson, director of the National Center for Public Lands Counties, provided updates on how the center coordinates with federal agencies on key issues like landscape health, wildfire mitigation, and economic development.
The session wrapped up with iSector sharing best practices on convening leaders from the private, public, and civic sectors to address challenging issues, leaving attendees inspired and better prepared to tackle pressing issues in their own counties.
Executive Director Gina Nikkel emphasized the important role of intergovernmental collaboration in addressing behavioral health. “County commissioners are uniquely positioned to act as convenors and problem-solvers within their communities,” she said. “Behavioral health is a complex issue and I’m grateful for this county college class’s commitment to understanding it and their willingness to work to strengthen how we support individuals with mental health needs.”
Special thanks to OSU Extension Services and CIS Oregon for their financial support that helps make County College possible, and to all our guest speakers for sharing their time and expertise on behavioral and public health, veteran services, and building strong partnerships that support healthy individuals, families, and communities.
For more information on County College visit: https://oregoncounties.org/ed-events/#countycollege
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Mar 25, 2025 | AOC News, NACo
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) invites Oregon counties to join us as we celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) during the month of April to showcase how counties achieve healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Highlight your effective or innovative county programs and raise public awareness of services provided to the community through news stories, outreach events, and on your social media. Show your community why counties matter and remember to use the hashtag #NCGM and tag AOC (@OregonCounties) in your social posts.
Every Oregonian lives in a county and benefits from their county government services. Use AOC’s Shared Services Chart to show the wide range of public services Oregon counties provide, such as:
- Counties own and maintain the most road miles in the state
- County public works, building, and planning departments are critical components of community and housing development
- Counties are the local mental health and public health authorities
- The county assessor and tax collector functions support every taxing district
- County clerks run all elections
- Counties house the district attorney, sheriff, and circuit courts
Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties to actively promote county roles and responsibilities in serving residents. NACo offers many tools to help tell the county story, inspire civic engagement and educate a wide range of audiences about county government. View NACo’s NCGM toolkit for ideas, sample social posts, county fact sheets, and many more resources to help your county celebrate.
Contributed by: Communication Coordinator Erin Good
Mar 10, 2025 | AOC News
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) strengthened its legislative advocacy with the addition of Joe Casey on Feb. 25, as legislative affairs coordinator.
With a strong background in public policy, regulatory work, and legislative analysis, Joe brings valuable experience as a campaign manager and legislative staffer. His expertise will support advancing AOC’s policy priorities during the 2025 legislative session.
AOC Executive Director Gina Nikkel expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Joe’s deep understanding of policy and legislative processes make him an invaluable asset to AOC’s advocacy efforts.”
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Mar 10, 2025 | AOC News, NACo
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) joined nearly 2,000 county leaders from across the country for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference March 1-4. Featured speakers included two cabinet secretaries along with members of Congress from both the U.S. House and Senate, including Oregon Senator Ron Wyden.
Over 30 Oregon county leaders and representatives of AOC participated in the conference, engaging in policy discussions through NACo’s policy steering committee process, as well as breakout and general sessions, hearing from a range of speakers in the federal government. These sessions covered a broad spectrum of critical issues, including tax and budget reconciliation, SALT and tax-exempt municipal bonds, disaster preparedness and management, artificial intelligence (AI), behavioral health and the county implications of policies being implemented during the first 100 days of the new administration.
For newly elected Benton County Commissioner Gabe Shepherd, a first-time attendee, the conference provided invaluable connections. “It was fascinating to hear from commissioners across the country how different our job is in each state,” he noted.
A key focus for the Oregon delegation was advocating for AOC’s federal policy priorities on Capitol Hill. AOC members and staff held meetings with Oregon’s Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum, Cliff Bentz, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, and the office of Maxine Dexter. These discussions centered on vital issues such as the Secure Rural Schools program, the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act’s impact on state Medicaid coverage for youth in custody, the Federal Victims of Crime Act, and implementation of the FEMA Biological Opinion.
AOC First Vice President and Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar emphasized the value of these meetings. “Meeting with Oregon’s senators and representatives gave me a new perspective into the workings of the federal government and provided insight into how to be more effective in discussions with federal officials and agencies,” she remarked.
Ultimately, the NACo Legislative Conference provided AOC and its members with crucial opportunities to influence federal policy, enabling them to better serve their communities across Oregon.
For more details about the 2025 NACo Legislative Conference, click here.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
