Our work is not done……
The response to our five-commissioner charter proposal has been phenomenal. CRG would like to thank all those who made it possible for us to gain momentum for what will constitute a vital change in how our county is governed. While CRG did meet the minimum required number of signatures to turn in by the August 9th deadline for the November ballot, we wanted more for a safe margin However, we are in this for the long term and are confident within the next few weeks we will have enough signatures to qualify for the May 2024 ballot. The signatures we have already gathered still count and there remains an opportunity for those who haven’t had a chance to sign to help us meet our goal.
Citizens for Responsible Government started with four people meeting for coffee at Rogue Roasters and an idea: how can we start a movement to improve Josephine County’s government? Realizing it all starts with the county’s blueprint, the charter, we (two Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent) looked at the current one and the revised charter that came out of a two-year effort by a charter update commission appointed by the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. We also looked at other Oregon county governments that made the switch to five commissioners and a report issued in 2019 by the League of Women voters recommending five member boards. By then others joined us to work on an updated charter that would modernize Josephine County government, making it more responsive, non-partisan and efficient.
Once we had our charter finalized and approved for signature gathering in mid-June, we had an outpouring of help from people who were enthusiastic about the changes we proposed. Our petition circulators devoted many hours to canvassing or sitting in front of tables of information at post offices and events, explaining the proposal and why it is needed. Our technical volunteer put up our website and our media people got the word out. But with only six weeks to promote our proposal and gather signatures, we got close but fell just a few hundred signatures short of meeting the August 9 deadline to get it on the November ballot.
We hoped to get on the fall ballot to make the transition from three to five commissioners easier in the November 2024 election. However, we can keep gathering signatures for up to two years to get our proposal on the ballot. Once it qualifies for that ballot, CRG will shift to running a campaign to get it approved by voters. Meanwhile CRG’s mission to promote responsible governance will branch out to take a non-partisan look at the issues and elections that affect our everyday lives in Josephine County.
If you would like to get involved, contact CRG through our website or phone number. Join us and be the change you’ve been waiting for.
Citizens for Responsible Government 560-A NE F St. Box 216 Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-450-9407 Contact: Jane Slama, 661-378-1435 jococrg.org
About the Author
