Carole Johnson of Albany is facing Michael Bowers of Harrisburg for the Democratic nomination for Linn County Commissioner.
The New Era was unable to reach Bowers for comment. He also is not listed in the voters pamphlet.
Johnson has been working for the people of Linn County as a volunteer already for the last 11 years, she said. I have been working for you for you for 11 years folks at no pay.… Now I’m asking you that you really put me to work by electing me your next commissioner.”
She has spent the last three years working as a volunteer for Jim Howell, the emergency management coordinator for Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Johnson has lived in Oregon for 24 years after moving from Ohio. She has attended eight different universities and colleges and enjoys learning. She continues to attend school and classes.
Johnson is running because she has unfinished business. She ran for commissioner as an independent four years ago believing that if she gave 150 percent and knocked on every door she could she could win the race.
She realized that she needed a party affiliation to win the seat, registered with the Democrats and began working hard with them.
The Linn County Fairgrounds and Expo Center runs about $1 million in the red each year, Johnson said. “I want to examine why we have 11 full-time employees at an under-booked facility that has a maximum capacity of parking 1,200 cars. As a comparative, the Jackson County Fairgrounds runs with just five full-time employees, is heavily booked, has two more buildings than we do and can accommodate 7,500 cars. Jackson County also encourages and has strong and supportive relationships with the horse show and riding crowd.”
Johnson also wants to explore why the ancient Salem Armory is drawing patrons from Eugene and Portland to sold-out shows nearly every weekend, Johnson said. She has been told it’s because it takes advantage of nationally known entertainers traveling the I-5 corridor between metropolitan cities, like San Francisco and Seattle, at discount prices.
“Linn County needs the stability of living-wage jobs,” Johnson said. Linn County needs to walk the talk by actively supporting the three econommic development areas, enterprise zones, within it. She points to Benton County, which has spent $40,000 a year for 10 years on economic development projects within those zones.
“Linn County has given our project $15,000 over the past three years,” Johnson said. “That’s $10,000, zip and $5,000. that does not bring new jobs to Linn County.”
With Linn County being a poor county, Johnson proposes hiring two full-time grant writers, one to work for the county and one for the smaller towns, those with little or no tax base, in Linn County.
Funding for the two positions could be provided by canceling the county’s contract with a lobbyist. Johnson initially supported the idea of a lobbyist but later realized that it was a duplication of services because Linn County pays about $30,000 per year to the Association of Oregon Counties and that lobbying is a primary responsibility of the commissioners.
From streamlining fair operations and increasing attendance, Johnson would take $500,000 in savings and split it, with $300,000 going to the Sheriff’s Office pay for “long-needed equipment, such as mobile video cams, mobile data terminals and our share of a communications network that would allow the Albany Police, Lebanon Police and Sheriff’s office to dialog with each other’s units rather than having to call each dispatch center to have their calls forwarded.”
The remaining $200,000 would be dedicated to upgrading equipmentt in county offices, Johnson said. One department was turned down seven years in a row on its request for $760 to paint an area that had not been touched in 29 years; and another department is still using 386 computers and cannot download or upload to the mainframe. At the treasurer’s office and parks and recreation, the areas look nice because employees paid for paint, wallpaper and carpeting then did the work themselves.
“It’s simply they’re not paying attentin,” Johnson said of the commissioenrs. Talking to one department head, Johnson learned that only two commissioners in 30 years had ever stopped by the office and talked to the department head.
“How do you oversee these millions of dollars if you’re not in touch with your staff,” Johnson said. “If we’re administrators, a big part of our job has to be knowing what our staff needs.”
Working on 386 computers is not right when more powerful machines are available for less than $800.
“The most important thing is to have the people’s voice heard at the county level,” Johnson said. “Do you truly feel that three Republicans who are all men represent the voice of this county, represent the needs? Are you really being heard?”
Johnson, however, praised Roger Nyquist, who “has been doing an excellent job. He has deligted and amazed me at his depth.”
As for her, “I represent all the people,” Johnson said.