WOULD THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR JOSEPHINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SUPPORT RE-OPENING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE?

All four candidates were asked for a response to this question: 

 As a county commissioner, would you support reopening the code enforcement office? And if so, what specific steps would you take to ensure that it operates effectively, complaints are addressed consistently and in a timely manner so county residents can have confidence that their concerns are being heard and resolved?

Colene Martin, Candidate for County Commissioner, Position #1

 Great question. Yes, I support restoring code enforcement services in Josephine County, but as with every county position or program, we must first answer an important question: Where will the funding come from to start it and sustain it? We are months into our budget year, and it is a conversation that I have been actively working with our Community Development Department to develop a realistic funding plan. Code enforcement is important to our residents, particularly when it comes to public safety, hazardous conditions, and protecting our neighborhoods. Currently it is in the hands of community development presenting their plan to the commissioners. 

From there, my first steps will be to establish a sustainable funding source, hire a qualified and knowledgeable code enforcement officer, implement clear procedures for receiving, prioritizing, tracking, and responding to complaints. Residents should receive timely acknowledgment of their concerns, consistent enforcement of county codes, and appropriate follow-up.

 Equally important is the approach we take. Code enforcement should not be about looking for reasons to cite or penalize our citizens. It should be about addressing legitimate problems, encouraging voluntary compliance, and protecting public safety.

Our goal should be a fair, responsive, and have a respectful program that residents can trust. We are here to serve our citizens, not work against them.

 John West, Candidate for County Commissioner, Position #1

 As your county commissioner in 2023 and 2024, we fully funded code enforcement and solid waste services. In 2025, commissioners Blech, Barnett, and Smith closed both services down.

 As your county commissioner, I would work to bring these important services back without costing citizens more in taxes.

 I believe in protecting every citizen’s personal property right while also protecting public health, safety, and property values. Raw sewage, garbage accumulation, unsafe structures, and other code violations can create serious health and safety hazards for our communities.

 Code enforcement and solid waste should be used to solve problems and protect our communities – not simply to issue fines or collect money.

 I would work with legal counsel to establish a fair, consistent process that respects property owners’ rights while ensuring compliance with county requirements.

 My approach would be simple: voluntary compliance first. Give property owners a reasonable opportunity to correct violations and resolve problems. Fines and curt action should be a last resort, used only when other reasonable efforts have failed.

 These services can be valuable to Josephine County when they are managed fairly, responsibly and efficiently.

 My goal is to protect property rights, safeguard public health and safety, and keep government accountable to the people it serves – without asking taxpayers to pay more.

 Chad Hansen, Candidate for County Commissioner, Position #2

 All county residents have the right to do what they want on their property until it negatively impacts their neighbor. We have codes and ordinances to protect everybody’s property and if people choose to not adhere to those codes and ordinances, then they are choosing to be bad neighbors and to be in violation.

 Mark Jones, Candidate for County Commissioner, Position #2

 Yes, I support code enforcement and believe that it should be staffed with an adequate number of FTE’s (full-time employees) to handle the volume of violations, complaints, and law enforcement needs when dealing with JMET (Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team) raids and incidents.