Olney the choice for county commissioner

The Tidings supports Jim Olney in the race for the Democratic nomination for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners seat now held by C.W. Smith.

All three Democratic candidates vying for the seat have strong Ashland ties, with Scott Keith from the Colestin Valley just south of the city, John Morrison serving as the mayor and Jim Olney living in Ashland.

All have a similar take on what's wrong with the present commission — summed up in general as a lack of vision and lack of communication.

Keith wants the county to focus more on job creation. Olney wants to avoid another crises like the closure of the library system. And Morrison: "My criticism is if you look at the county, they haven't had a long-term financial plan for about 20 years."

Morrison is by far the most experienced in local government. Serving as mayor of Ashland gives him an edge, but it also provides a record by which he can be judged.

It's not a strong record. He is often dominated on the City Council by stronger council members. He seems interested in casting a vision for the city, yet no vision exists. His was the tie-breaking vote that sank a downtown plan after he said the real need was for a citywide plan. Two years later, there is no plan for either.

Also troubling is the recent news that Morrison is dangerously close to skirting the requirement that the mayor live in Ashland — and that he has been less than forthcoming about that fact. We need a commissioner we can trust to be open with the public. We need a commissioner who can not only talk about a vision, but create one. We're not sure Morrison meets either of those expectations.

Keith seems well-intentioned but lacks experience. His background in business and broad experience with different segments of the Southern Oregon population might make for a good fit on the commission, but that's a big first step. We recommend he test the waters in a more shallow section of the political pond.

So Olney rises to the top.

He has fought hard to save the library as the executive director of the Jackson County Library Foundation, putting him on the frontline of the county's budget discussion. He wants to continue that work with the county budget, while bringing more people into the public process. He accuses the current board of operating a "government in hiding" because of what he sees as a lack of openness and for meeting at daytime hours that are more convenient for the government than for the governed. The library's problems, he says, are just symptoms of a larger issue: lack of leadership.

Olney would bring an Ashland sensibility to the commission. Not the caricature of Ashland people enjoy invoking. Ashland is the most successful, forward-thinking, welcoming community in the Valley. The commission needs more of what we have.

He touts environmentalism and sustainability, concepts that are old hat for Ashlanders, but essential for the future economic viability — and livability ""of this region. But he also has a realistic approach to logging and the wood industry, endorsing harvest levels to keep jobs in the county.

Ballots for the primary went in the mail today. When you get yours, we encourage you to vote for Jim Olney for the Democratic nomination for the Board of Commissioners.