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Commissioners lay out public recruitment to fill vacancy left by Commissioner Fireside
Summary
Following Commissioner Fireside's resignation effective March 7, the board discussed options for a public recruitment and interview process to appoint a replacement who will serve until the November 2026 general election; county clerk outlined election schedule and staff will return next Tuesday with a written recruitment proposal.
Chair Roberts announced at the start of the March 6 meeting that Commissioner Fireside had resigned effective March 7, creating a vacancy in Position 4 of the Board of County Commissioners. The remaining commissioners discussed an appointment process that would follow county practice used in 2017: a public recruitment managed by human resources, public interviews and a final appointment made in public.
County Administrator Gary Schmidt described a recommended public process: Human Resources would open a recruitment for cover letters and resumes (and short written questions to assess candidates), the board would screen applicants and hold public interviews and community meetings with finalists before making a selection. Schmidt said the process used in 2017 took about three months but could be accelerated if the board wishes.
Clackamas County Clerk McMullen advised that any appointee would serve until the next general election (November 2026), at which time an election would be held to fill the unexpired term. The clerk summarized the filing and nominating timeline as it relates to the 2026 election cycle: the nominating election (May) process and filing windows were described (Clerk McMullen said the filing opens September 11, 2025 and closes March 10, 2026 for the nominating election period), and commissioners asked clarifying questions about eligibility (candidate must be an elector and resident for at least one year, age 18+).
Commissioners discussed whether to set selection criteria in advance (for example, geographic representation or whether the appointee intends to run in 2026). Several commissioners said they favored a transparent process and urged staff to return with a written proposal quickly. Schmidt suggested the board use the next Tuesday "issues" meeting to adopt criteria and open the application; commissioners agreed to have staff prepare written options and to reserve time next Tuesday to decide and, if ready, open the application that afternoon.
Ending: Staff will return at the next Tuesday issues meeting with a written recruitment proposal, recommended criteria and options for public engagement; commissioners signaled they want a transparent process and indicated they expect to begin accepting applications promptly once criteria are set.
