Josephine County commissioners terminate Budget Committee, call for reapplications

The Josephine County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 7 to terminate the current Budget Committee and require members to reapply for staggered one-, two- and three-year terms.

Commissioner Gary Richardson moved to dissolve the existing committee and request new applications; Commissioner Colene Martin seconded. Chair Ron Smith and the other commissioners supported the motion, and the board approved it on a 3-0 roll call.

Board members said the restructuring is intended to refresh the pool of volunteers who review the county budget and create staggered terms that preserve continuity while opening spaces for new applicants. The motion did not specify a deadline for reapplication; staff were directed to process the request for reapplications under the stated term structure.

The vote represents a procedural change to the county’s budget oversight process and does not itself alter budgeted appropriations. The board took no immediate action on individual budget items during the workshop. The County Manager’s office will publish application instructions and term lengths as the next step.