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Deschutes County commissioners default to longest-serving member as chair after no second to nominations
Summary
A self-nomination for chair drew no second and, under the county code, the longest-serving commissioner will serve as chair for 2025; the exchange highlighted tensions among commissioners about how chair and vice chair are chosen.
Commissioners on the Deschutes County Board started 2025 by addressing leadership for the year after a nomination for chair drew no second and county code automatically assigned the posts by tenure.
Commissioner Phil Chang nominated himself to serve as chair for 2025, saying he was “willing to serve as chair” if the board returned to a rotating tradition. County legal counsel later told the board, “Pursuant to the code, it would default to the member with the longest tenure and would become chair. The member with the second longest tenure would be vice chair.” The counsel said that, in that situation, Commissioner DeBone would be chair and Commissioner Adaire vice chair if no alternate motion were seconded.
Why it matters: the exchange surfaced disagreements about how the chair should be selected and whether the chair should use the role to press particular policy positions. Commissioner Chang and other members sparred over expectations about whether a chair should set an agenda that reflects personal policy priorities. In the discussion, one commissioner said the role should be about “facilitating the business of the board… and not promoting your particular ideological slant when you are chairing the meeting.” Chang replied that he could “promise you that I would” not abuse the role, but the back-and-forth underscored friction among members.
What happened next: Because no second to the nomination was offered, the counsel’s explanation of the county code took effect and no formal vote was required, the counsel said.
Context and process notes: Commissioners repeatedly referred to the county code’s default procedure for selecting chair and vice chair when nominations fail to receive a second. One commissioner warned that procedural choices now could affect board dynamics as the panel expands in future years. The meeting proceeded with the pledge of allegiance and citizen input after the leadership discussion.
Ending: The chair assignments will stand under the code unless the board later adopts a different motion that is seconded and passed.
