At a Sept. 8 special session, the Baker County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to accept an amendment to Order 97-229 that would make the three commissioner positions equal and begin a transition toward a county administrator form of government, and the board directed staff to place the change on the May 2026 primary ballot with a proposed effective date of Jan. 1, 2027.

The amendment would remove the current designation of a single full-time chair by making the three seats equal in duties and compensation and would enable the board to hire a county administrator to manage day-to-day operations; the sponsor said the change is intended to improve continuity, department management and administrative efficiency.

Commissioner (proposer), a Baker County commissioner, told colleagues the proposal "will improve efficiency, increase fairness in commissioner roles, create consistency in department management, and strengthen the county's ability to serve residents more effectively." The proposal as presented sets an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027, to give candidates filing in 2026 notice of the change.

County Counsel Kim said the legislature authorized counties to change certain governance details by order under the Oregon Revised Statutes and that the amendment under consideration "complies with this statute and other statutes." Kim advised the board that an order adopted under ORS 203.230 and related provisions may specify compensation, powers and duties for a third commissioner position and can be amended by the board.

Several members of the public objected and urged the commissioners to put the change to a public vote rather than amend the order internally. Nora (Resident) said, "You don't have the legal authority to do this within the three of you... The form of government cannot be changed without a vote of the people," and warned she would challenge the action if the board proceeded without placing the measure before voters.

Commissioners debated timing and transparency. Supporters said holding a special session was necessary so candidates filing for office beginning Sept. 11 would know the changed duties before filing; opponents and some public commenters said notice and opportunity for public hearings had been insufficient.

After discussion the board member who sponsored the amendment moved to accept the proposal and place the amendment on the May 2026 primary ballot so it could take effect Jan. 1, 2027; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously; commissioners vocalized three "ayes" and the chair declared the motion carried.

The board did not adopt a final administrator job description, compensation level or implementation plan at the Sept. 8 session. Commissioners and staff said those details would be worked out with human resources, the county compensation committee and county counsel if and when the measure is approved by voters or if the board decides to proceed administratively.

Background: Baker County amended Order 97-229 in 1997 to change from a county court to a board of commissioners; that order and multiple ORS provisions (including ORS 203.230, ORS 203.240 and ORS 203.035, as discussed in the meeting) were cited repeatedly during the discussion and in public comments. Public commenters and at least one written submission argued the earlier order's language ("subject to election") requires voter approval for the change; county counsel disagreed with that reading for the current amendment.

Next steps: The board directed staff and county counsel to prepare ballot language and to coordinate with the county clerk on placing the measure on the May 2026 primary ballot; the proposed effective date in the amendment is Jan. 1, 2027. If placed on the ballot, that measure will permit voters to approve or reject the change. The board also signaled it will work with HR and the compensation committee on any administrator job description and compensation should the structural change move forward.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions are taken from the Sept. 8, 2025 Baker County Board of Commissioners special-session transcript. Speakers are identified in the article by the labels used in the record when a full name is not provided.)