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Commissioners split on paying SCOED audit; Hensley says no new county dollars until public plan presented
Summary
Commissioner Hensley opposed using county funds to pay for SCOED audits without a public work session and a clear restructuring plan; other commissioners said audits may be a low‑risk way to move the organization forward, but no county funding motion passed during the meeting.
Commissioners debated whether Klamath County should provide funding to pay for audits and short‑term stabilization of the South Central Oregon Economic Development District (SCOED).
Commissioner Hensley, calling into the meeting, said he would not support spending additional county taxpayer dollars on SCOED until the organization delivers a public work session and a clear plan for its future. "If it's going to be dissolved, I don't believe that Klamath County should be spending a dime," he said, adding that he could not justify a $60,000 audit without knowing what the board of SCOED intends to do next.
Other commissioners noted SCOED was created through an intergovernmental agreement between Lake and Klamath counties and that the organization has historically leveraged local contributions to secure about $1 million in grants. One commissioner proposed that the least risky county contribution would be to pay for audit services to clean up SCOED’s books while a subcommittee develops a restructuring plan; staff said that plan is scheduled to be presented to the SCOED board in six days.
No motion to fund SCOED audits or operations was adopted at the Dec. 10 meeting. Commissioners agreed that SCOED should present a public plan and that county staff and elected leaders will await that presentation and the SCOED board’s recommendations before committing county funds.
Next steps: commissioners asked staff to monitor SCOED’s restructuring plan presentation to its board and to report back; the new board of commissioners after January will be positioned to make final funding decisions.
