During the public‑comment period at the Dec. 16 Curry County Board meeting, multiple county residents sharply criticized the board and raised concerns about law enforcement funding and transparency.

Georgia Cochran, a Curry County citizen, told the board a workshop had discussed paying the Brookings Police Department to patrol the unincorporated Harbor area and said the city council declined. Cochran accused commissioners of misleading the public and said recent comments "have included lies, false accusations, and or word salads meant to deflect the truth," adding that recall petitions collected signatures from many residents unhappy with the two commissioners who were targeted by the petition.

Another resident, Jerry Olz of Brookings, pressed for clearer information about sheriff's‑office staffing and budget accountability, noting apparent inconsistencies in how deputies and patrol positions were counted and asking where the public could find sheriff budget records.

Board response and context: Commissioners and staff provided clarifications during the meeting. The chair said the Brookings discussion did not reach a vote because requested data on call volume and cost was not provided by the sheriff's office; the item went to the city council and produced a tie vote, so it did not move forward. Director of County Operations Ted Fitzgerald later clarified the permissible uses of opioid funds and said those funds may be usable for a Community Resource Officer (CRO) position but not for straight road patrol.

Why it matters: The comments highlight continuing tension between county officials and some residents over public‑safety funding priorities, transparency about how decisions are made, and the lingering political fallout from recall efforts. The board is under pressure to provide clear budget data and to show how staffing and grant dollars are being allocated.

Quotes from participants: Cochran said she would return with source quotes if commissioners disputed her account: "If any of you make an effort to run for another term and fail, such failure will be due to your own words and actions." Olz said the public is "not getting updates that we need to know as citizens" about sheriff's‑office matters.

Next steps: Commissioners pledged to improve communication and provide requested data (for example, dispatch reports on transient‑related calls) and said they will revisit the CRO and civil‑processor staffing proposals in budget discussions.