OREGON CITY, Ore. — When Clackamas County voters receive their ballots ahead of the May primary, they'll be choosing who will chair the board of county commissioners. It's a powerful position in one of Oregon's most highly populated counties, at the reins of a budget hovering around $1.7 billion.
Incumbent Chair Tootie Smith is running for re-election. But her challenger won't be unfamiliar to Clackamas County voters, who likely remember former Sheriff Craig Roberts.
The Story's Pat Dooris sat down with both candidates for county chair to talk about what they have to offer, beginning with Roberts. The interview with Smith will be published Wednesday.
Roberts was born and raised in Clackamas County. He served as sheriff from 2005 through the end of 2020, a time marked by devastating wildfires, the beginnings of a pandemic and much more. He's been living the life of a retiree in the meantime, but he said he's not precisely unplugged from county goings-on.
Dooris asked Roberts why he'd want to leave the quiet life for the pressure-packed world of local politics.
"First of all, I'm probably just like a lot of people out there that have been watching what's going on in our communities, from the homelessness to the drug and mental health issues to affordable housing, and really to the overdoses that are happening," Roberts said. "I honestly just felt like I could do something and step up and make some changes that could really make a difference."
Cash for the courthouse
Roberts said he's familiar with the county's finances, and he thinks it's going in the wrong direction — one that will result in cuts to services and programs that people rely upon. Specifically, he's talking about the expense of a new Clackamas County Courthouse, which has contributed to looming budget cuts across county departments.
The current courthouse was built back in 1936, and there's been widespread agreement that it needed to be replaced. But the cost has skyrocketed: In 2021, it was estimated at $189 million, but by 2022, it had gone up 60% to $313 million. The state of Oregon is covering about half the cost, but Clackamas County taxpayers are on the hook for the other half over the next 15 years. That will sap $12-17 million from the budget each year.
"I was in the planning process there when I was sheriff," Roberts said. "I continued to ask the question, 'How are we going to pay for it?' I know we need a courthouse, but the fact of the matter is I didn't see (that our) revenue is enough to cover this enormous cost ... right now, it's about $366 million, 2025. They have a $125 million debt service. Let me remind you the general fund budget is $155 thousand. It just doesn't add up."
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A survey of taxpayers found that about 12% supported hiking property taxes to pay for the new courthouse, Roberts said, so that wasn't going to happen. Other counties in need of a new courthouse decided against the expense, he added, despite the state's matching funds. He pointed to Hood River County as an example.
But even if Roberts beats out Tootie Smith in this election, the new courthouse is practically a done deal. He'd be saddled with the cost — and the cuts, more than likely.
"One of the first things I would do is bring in an audit firm to come in and do a complete forensic audit of the county ... A part of that has to be a citizen involvement, so I would have financially smart citizens that know county finance, get them involved and the unions involved," Roberts said. "Because ... I know we will have to make cuts, and what those cuts are. I do believe there are some ways we might be able to identify some funding. I might be reaching out to the governor or other people to say, 'Just look here. Here's where we're at; this is devastating our county.' So, the first step is really assessing where we really are talking about, the programs that we can save and then move on from there."
Roberts said he tried to get the courthouse project scaled back in the beginning, but it will be too late to do that come 2025.
"I can tell you, at 16 years as a sheriff, every single budget was a fight for money to literally maintain what we have," he said. "So, when I know they're adding this huge project, (I'm) thinking, 'Well, where is that money coming from?' Because it has not been a cakewalk for the last 16 years as sheriff just to have a balanced budget. So that is my top concern, is really the financial future of Clackamas County."
Those budget battles didn't end with Roberts' tenure. Last year, new Sheriff Angela Brandenberg sent out a letter to the public, warning that the county was making her department absorb a $5 million cut. But instead of taking her proposed budget, which slashed positions in order to hit that target, they tossed her budget out and drew up their own — one that would raid funding from a voter-approved levy intended to provide deputies for rural areas of the county, she said.
According to Brandenberg, these cuts were all a result of the county needing to scrounge up $15 million for the courthouse.
County commissioners reacted to Brandenberg's statement with outrage and said that the change was simply an updating of internal costs each department pays for county services.
Homelessness, drugs and recovery
While he was sheriff, Roberts said he focused on the behavioral health issues, including addiction, that impacted people in Clackamas County.
"There's a whole host of other things that really separates me from Tootie Smith. I mean, one of the things that I really bring to the table and that I'm an honored to be a part of ... I created the largest drug and alcohol treatment program in the state of Oregon — 80 beds, and it took us years to figure out how to make that program successful," Roberts said. "We looked at national best practices. We have an 88% success rate, and our goal is 'I cannot fix somebody's drug and alcohol issues in 30 days; it takes 12 to 18 months.'"
Roberts said that this system, the Clackamas Substance Abuse Program, gets people into clean and sober living, with accountability built in. They aim to have graduates go at least two years with no re-arrest, which is the benchmark for the success rate he mentioned. But, he stressed, it takes time and commitment.
"And so right now what's happening is there is a lot of money for drug and alcohol treatment and a lot of services," he continued. "But what is happening so often is they're throwing money at 'But let's get this building.' It's the program that runs the building that makes the difference. It's not the building."
Roberts said that if he were county chair, he would focus on successful programs that get people off the streets and work to support affordable housing. He said he would work to bring all parties together to work through the upcoming budget challenges that the county faces, as well.