Douglas County, OR. — Official Release: Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice are issuing the following statement after a discussion held during their Weekly Business Meeting on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, regarding the Umpqua Public Transportation District (UPTD). The discussion, brought forward as an off-agenda item by Board Chair Commissioner Freeman, was in response to numerous false rumors currently being circulated by other local elected officials.
“We recognize that UPTD is currently undergoing a period of transition, including a possible delay in funding. However, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners are not involved in any aspect of the district, nor would it be appropriate for us to be involved. We wish UPTD the best during this time. We continue to believe that the most effective government is that which remains closest to the people. A dedicated transportation district, focused solely on managing local transit services, represents a strong and responsive model for meeting community needs,” stated Commissioner Freeman on behalf of the board.
Commissioner Freeman began the discussion by correcting misinformation regarding the formation of the independent transportation district. In 2017, the Board of Commissioners was approached by representatives from several local agencies, along with community members, who advocated for the creation of a separate transportation district in Douglas County. They believed that establishing an independent district, separate from county government, would better serve the community’s interests. One key reason cited was the expectation that a standalone district would have greater leverage in securing additional grant funding. On August 15, 2018, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners held the first public hearing and signed an order initiating the formation of an independent Douglas County Transportation District. A follow-up public hearing was held on September 12, 2018, to consider finalizing the district’s creation. After hearing public testimony, the Commissioners unanimously approved an order officially establishing the district, with boundaries generally aligned with those of Douglas County.
The newly formed Douglas County Transportation District was established as an independent, non-taxing entity, meaning it would not collect local tax dollars. Instead, funding would be allocated directly to the district and would not come through the county. Governance of the district was assigned to an elected board, responsible for managing and overseeing the use of millions in funding. The next step in the process was the election of the board of directors. In November 2018, Douglas County voters elected seven board members from a field of 16 candidates. Following the election, the legal transition of the transportation program began, with all actions carried out in accordance with state statutes to formally transfer operations to the newly independent district. The final responsibility of Douglas County Government in this process was to oversee the initial board meeting in January 2019, during which board positions and term lengths were determined. Since that time, the district, now known as the Umpqua Public Transportation District, has operated independently of county government.
To help set the record straight and address the misinformation being circulated, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners issued the following key points today:
1) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners were NOT involved in the last election of officers for UPTD.
2) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners are NOT involved in the current issues involving UPTD.
3) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners DO NOT want to take over managing UPTD.
4) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners want to make it clear that if for some reason the current UPTD district fails, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners will NOT take the local transportation program back under county authority or management.
Citizens can watch a recording of the Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Weekly Business Meeting containing the discussion about UPTD on Douglas County Government’s YouTube Channel for meeting broadcasts at https://www.youtube.com/@douglascountyoregongov.
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