What the Hell is Going on in Douglas County?

This was originally published in the News -Review last spring.

 This week, a sobering reality came into focus: Douglas County’s budget is headed in a dangerous direction—and county leadership appears more committed to outdated economic models than to long-term financial sustainability.

According to publicly available figures, the General Fund’s ending balance for fiscal year 2024–25 is projected to be around $56.6 million. But if current spending patterns continue, that balance could shrink rapidly. The 2024 adopted budget outlines $67 million in county operations, while revenue—especially from timber—continues to decline. If this rate of deficit spending persists, the county could face a major shortfall by FY 2026–27.

This isn’t speculation. I attended the county’s public budget meetings, reviewed the documents, and confirmed the numbers. What I also discovered was even more frustrating: while the county teeters on a financial cliff, the commissioners plan to accept a 3% pay rise, as recommended by the compensation board. In the face of looming insolvency, this move is not just tone-deaf—it’s irresponsible.

You might expect our state legislators to step in and help. Unfortunately, recent decisions suggest that’s wishful thinking.

Take House Bill 3728, for example. While it didn’t allocate funds, the bill directed the Oregon Water Resources Department to study the controversial Winchester Dam—a private dam with a documented history of environmental violations. Though the bill died in committee, it signaled a willingness to explore spending public resources on a project that could eventually cost tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Even assuming a low-end estimate of $100 million, that’s more than twice the size of Douglas County’s current budget gap. And who benefits? Not the public, the resulting lake has no public access of recreation.

All the while, our own infrastructure remains underfunded. Imagine what $100 million could do if invested right here—into schools, housing, roads, public safety, or local economic development. Instead, we’re entertaining vanity projects and propping up industries that no longer serve our future.

Speaking of which, our economic strategy remains stubbornly tied to timber. Timber will always be part of Douglas County’s identity—but it can’t be the whole story. For FY 2024–25, the county initially expected about $18 million in timber-related revenue. That projection has been slashed to just $7.3 million, roughly 4.6% of total revenue. A major factor? The federal administration’s decision to not renew funding for the Secure Rural Schools program. Oregon’s Democratic senators are fighting to restore it, but the future of that funding remains uncertain. The county must start planning for life without it.

The timber industry supports an estimated 3,500 to 5,500 jobs locally. Important, yes—but far from dominant. By contrast, Oregon’s wine industry supports more than 50,000 jobs statewide, many of them here in Douglas County. Nonprofits are another growing sector, according to some estimates, they employ twice as many people as timber. These are the industries poised for growth. Yet our county leadership continues to ignore them.

To be clear: this isn’t about diminishing the value of timber or the contributions of those who work in the industry. It’s about facing facts. A one-industry economy is no longer viable—not for Douglas County, and not for our children’s future.

This blind loyalty to legacy industries and private interests isn’t just shortsighted, it’s dangerous. It limits our potential, saps resources from emerging sectors, and puts the county on a path to fiscal collapse.

If our current leaders can’t—or won’t—adapt to the realities we face, then it’s time for new ones who will.

What the hell is going on in Douglas County?

It’s time to find out—and it’s time to change course.

It’s time for leadership that looks forward, not backward.