>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

ELGIN — The five candidates vying for a single seat coming open on the Union County Board of Commissioners sat down for a chat at the Elgin Opera House Tuesday, taking part in a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Union County Farm Bureau.

Forum organizer Rich Zinzer said at the outset the forum was intended to introduce the candidates to the public rather than foster heated debate over issues. Before a crowd of about 20 people, the event unfolded according to that scenario

Republican candidates Kyle Corbin, Mark Davidson and John Lamoreau, and Democratic contenders Jim Mollerstrom and Greg Franklin, fielded questions on topics including basic county services, the financial problems of Buffalo Peak Golf Course, the proposed establishment of a Mount Emily Recreation Area, and more. The atmosphere remained low-keyed and civil throughout.

Before fielding questions from a panel that included Gene Hardy and Matt Insko of the Farm Bureau and state Rep. Greg Smith, each candidate was given a chance to talk about himself.

Mollerstrom, a longtime Union County resident who works in the mental health field, started it out by saying he formed his basic values growing up in a farming family in Silverton. He said those values are with him today and color his actions as a citizen.

“If it weren’t for that family bond and those community ties, I wouldn’t be here tonight,” he said.

Lamoreau said he is running because he wants to continue work he started during his prior term as county commissioner. That includes getting more companies to invest in wind power.

“I think renewable energy is our future and will help replace the money we’re losing through timber receipts,” he said.

Corbin, a 19-year-old who serves as mayor of Union, said he knows people question whether he has enough experience and commitment to be a county commissioner.

He said he has helped the City of Union solve a variety of problems, and that youth is on his side.

“My inexperience, if that’s what you call it, has provided me with the tools to bring people together to face important issues,” he said.

Franklin is a science teacher in the La Grande School District who has served extensively as a union representative. He said he hopes to put his abilities as a consensus-builder to work.

“I’ve always wanted to be a county commissioner. It’s a challenging job and a huge one. I’m a consensus builder and that’s what the job is about — working with people,” he said.

Davidson, a businessman who has lived in La Grande 37 years, said he was brought up by his parents to believe in community service.

He has been a La Grande city councilor, a member of the city’s budget and urban renewal advisory committees and a member of the Union County Economic Development Corp. board. He said economic development is a priority with him.

“We in Union County routinely export our most precious asset, our youth. They should be able to stay at home. That’s why I strongly support economic development," he said.

The issue of law enforcement funding came up early in the forum. Lamoreau, a former county commissioner who lost his seat to Nellie Hibbert in the last election, returned to the subject several times.

He said the person most supportive of his running for the office again was Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen.

He said that during his term on the board of commissioners he strongly supported more funding for the sheriff’s office, and that Rasmussen appreciates it.

“Boyd found out very quickly I’m for law enforcement,” Lamoreau said, noting that he has Rasmussen’s endorsement now.

All the candidates said they see a need to find more funding for basic county services. In response to a question about road department operations, Davidson said he thinks the county should be looking for ways to make up for the loss of federal timber revenues that fund the department.

“I believe roads have to be a priority,” he said. “I’d like to see us doing something about (forest) fire suppression, going out and thinning timber for revenue.”

Lamoreau said he thinks the road department needs to be open five days a week in the winter, instead of four. He said he thinks the county has the money on hand.

“I believe the money is there. Tax revenues are almost double of what’s been projected,” he said.

He added that he thinks personnel who work at county-owned Buffalo Peak Golf Course should be put to work driving snow plows during the winter months.

All five candidates spoke in favor of the county’s proposal to buy 3,700 acres of land on Mount Emily and manage it for recreation and natural resource use.

Lamoreau said he thinks a lack of transparency on the part of the county has made people suspicious of the Mount Emily initiative, but also said he thinks the idea is a good one.

He pointed to Morrow County, which bought and developed a similar recreation area using state All-Terrain Vehicle Program funds.

“They’ve been able to do it without affecting basic services. In fact, they’ve been able to increase their services,” he said.

Davidson talked about the fact that the county has decided to refer the Mount Emily decision to the electorate in an advisory vote.

“I support the advisory vote. I think asking the county for its opinion is exactly the way to go. I’d certainly expect the county to heed the wishes of the people,” he said.

Mollerstrom said he thinks the Mount Emily plan has been well thought out.

“There’s a solid business plan in place. A lot of people have been working on it for a long time,” he said.

Corbin said if the initiative passes, he hopes the county will work to protect wildlife and the natural beauty of the area. Franklin also said preservation should be a priority.

“I’d hate to see it logged off or scalped,” he said.

The candidates were asked for their views on the fact that Buffalo Peak loses money and is subsidized by the county.

Davidson said he thinks the county should plan to sell or lease the course to a private operator.

“The funding subsidy is a problem we have to take on, and we need to run the course in a businesslike manner. I’m interested in seeing what ideas there are on moving it into the black and into private ownership,” he said.

Lamoreau said he thinks leasing the course to a private party would be a good idea. He also said the county needs to be ready to make some “tough decisions” about the course.

“Put it out to bid and find somebody to lease it,” he said. “If not, close it in the winter. When there’s snow on the ground, it makes no sense for it to be open.”

Buffalo Peak is located in Union, Corbin’s bailiwick. The young mayor said he believes the course can be good for his town and the county.

“I don’t see it as a bad thing. It brings tourists and has the potential to be a real asset. It’s a problem now but you’ve got to look long term,” he said. “We need a plan for where we want it to be in 10 years. We need to hold on and embrace the challenge.”

Mollerstrom pointed to some of the course’s positive benefits, including the fact that it is a key to handling Union’s wastewater problems. He said he feels the course deserves support.

“I’m here to make it work. I agree with all the folks who say we’ve got to get it into the black. It’s part of the community infrastructure and it benefits the community,” he said.

Franklin also stressed the positive.

He noted that some interest on a loan from the Oregon Economic Community Department has been forgiven, and that a lower interest rate is being charged on the loan now. He also said re-zoning and sales of 70 acres of county-owned land adjacent to the course could help erase debt.

“It (the golf course) is a drain but there’s an upside,” he said.

Other topics discussed during the session included renewable resources, proposals to change county board meeting times from day to evening, and more.

The forum was the first of two scheduled ahead of the May 20 primaries. The Union County Chamber of Commerce will hold a similar event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at La Grande Middle School.