The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners designated the Lincoln County Leader July 23 as the county's primary publication for property-tax foreclosure notices, a procedural step required by state statute, and heard public comment advocating for broader notice reach and consideration of digital options.
Assistant County Counsel Brian Gardner reviewed legal requirements and presented competing bids from area publications to publish the annual foreclosure list required under state law. Gardner said ORS 312.040 requires notice in a newspaper of general circulation and that a currently pending House Bill 2088 could alter redemption and notice rules but has not been enacted. The solicitation submitted to the board included bids from The Oregonian and the Lincoln County Leader; the lower-cost bid was from the Leader. Gardner noted the Lincoln Chronicle's bid did not meet statutory criteria as a newspaper of general circulation under current law.
Commissioners voted to designate the Lincoln County Leader as the county's primary publication for the foreclosure list. The board also discussed and encouraged that the county explore additional ways to maximize notice reach, including digital distribution.
During public comment following the decision, Quentin Smith, editor and board chair of Yaquina (Yahtzee) News — publisher of the Lincoln Chronicle — said the legal-notice process as written is out of step with modern readership and urged the county to evaluate circulation, paywall status and whether public notices are accessible outside paywalls. "The county is not trying to get the foreclosure notice... to the most possible people," Smith said. He recommended the county ask bidders for circulation and accessibility data in future procurements and to consider digital delivery for public notices.
The board's formal order will be prepared by staff to memorialize the designation; the county also discussed supplementing the required publication with digital posting and additional outreach where feasible.