Washington County salary commission orients members, elects chair and vice chair; sets tight June deadline

The Washington County Salary Commission elected Mohammed Faisal Azim as chair and Madiha Ahmadjad as vice chair during an orientation meeting on May 1, where county counsel and staff briefed members on applicable ethics rules, public-records obligations and the expedited deadline for the commission's work.

Adriana Ortega, Labor and Employment County Counsel in the Office of County Counsel, told the commission that Oregon ethics laws treat volunteers on public bodies as public officials and bar using the office "for personal gain," and she reminded members of a $50 limit on acceptable gifts. Ortega also reviewed public meetings and public-records laws, telling members that communications about county business — including on personal devices if they relate to commission work — may be subject to public-records requests.

The orientation explained the commission's task and schedule. Clerk Kevin Moss and consultant facilitator Tony Tabura outlined a proposed timetable of weekly meetings in May and an intention to present a final recommendation before the county's budget decisions this month. Commission members were told the commission's work must be finished by June 30 and that presenting to the board on June 3 would make it more likely the finance staff could incorporate any change into the board's budget process ahead of mid-June deadlines.

Commissioners discussed rules in the commission bylaws and state statute that affect decision-making. The bylaws require 72 hours' notice for meetings, allow a voting quorum of three members, and designate an alternate member who automatically fills a vacancy. Ortega noted a 2023 state-court decision and related statutory language that tighten the definition of a quorum and explained that, under state statute, if only three voting members constitute a quorum then action may require all three votes in favor.

On the first formal action of the new panel, the commission appointed leadership. A motion to "appoint Mohammed Faisal Azim as chair and Madiha Ahmadjad as vice chair of the Salary Commission" was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote; the meeting transcript records the ayes and immediate confirmation but does not include a roll-call tally. The clerk recorded the result as approved. (Motion text recorded in commission minutes.)

Members discussed research tasks used by prior salary commissions: internal and external comparator salaries, interviews with elected commissioners and key staff, and how to document findings in a final report to the Board of County Commissioners. Staff said much of the market-comparator data used by earlier commissions has already been collected and that an HR consultant, Mary Rowe, will present that market analysis at the commission's next meeting.

On scheduling, members agreed to initial meeting dates and times: Tuesday, May 6 (7:00 p.m.), Tuesday, May 13 (7:00 p.m.), Thursday, May 22 (6:30 p.m.), and Wednesday, May 28 (6:30 p.m.), with a proposed presentation to the board on June 3. Commissioners acknowledged the compressed timetable and discussed options if they needed more time, including presenting at the board's June 17 budget meeting instead.

Staff provided practical guidance about communications and records: the county has created a Salary Commission inbox for commission-related correspondence (members were asked to copy that inbox so records are captured in county archives), and staff will publish meeting packets and the meeting video on the county website. Ortega said the county will research and follow up about which personal information is shielded from disclosure under employee-privacy exceptions, and she advised members to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest so the board can determine whether those conflicts require recusal from particular actions.

The meeting closed after members confirmed the initial schedule, agreed to review previous commission reports and materials posted on the county website before the next meeting, and set the commission's next meeting for May 6. Kevin Moss said he will publish the packet and post draft notes from this meeting for members to review.

The commission's orientation included multiple clarifications about process and limits of authority — that it must recommend salary levels and related policy details to the Board of County Commissioners, not implement budgetary changes directly — and staff pledged to assist with data and with scheduling interviews or other fact-finding the commission chooses to pursue.

The commission adjourned at the end of the orientation; staff said a recording and meeting materials will be posted on the Washington County website.