Coos County as a piece of geography and demographic data is comprised of approximately 64,000 people living and working together on 1800 square miles. Then there is Coos County, the government, lorded over by the Board of Commissioners who hold sway over all the resources and the budgets and are supposed to look out for the best interests, including public safety, of the citizens of the county.
Certainly, it is appropriate when talking about what a commissioner may legally do to segregate the County (the government) from the county (all of us). With respect to the decision to provide an extra two years of tax abatement to Oregon Resources, the County as final arbiter despite discretionary powers, made a $1M decision on behalf of the county without any idea how much the cost per “promised” job is.
In short, when it suits them the County BOC separate themselves from the county that elected them.
The Bay Area Enterprise Zone tax exemptions will cost the county and the County over $2.5M for the full five years. Quite a headhunter fee for 50 jobs paying $45,000 per year. Works out to 28% per year for each of the five years. All for a company that HAD to locate here.
Regarding the highly touted $45M investment ORC is making in Coos County, does anyone know how much of that money is actually spent here? Of the materials and equipment comprising that number, how much is actually purchased in Coos County or Oregon, for that matter?
If I purchase a $100K Mercedes in Portland and park it in my driveway does that mean I have invested $100K in Coquille? Does that purchase actually help the local economy? Not a bit.
Much of the so called ORC investment into Coos County can be removed and exported to the next mine processing facility. The capital isn’t really permanent, its more like buying a fleet of trucks only to drive them away. Even if they left it behind it is a single purpose investment… not many other miners are going to rush to buy it up and pay taxes on it.
Apparently, some local business persons have taken offense to my assessment of their business judgment
Aloof fiefdom in this regard is not correct. They could use discretion and chose to side with a company over the people who voted them in.
Our politics are 180% opposite. We don’t agree on much. But the Board of Commissioners setting themselves up as aloof fiefdom or protectorate is correct. The worst is my family friend Stufflebean. Followed by the county lawyer who I belive got her law educatuion from a three month Guatamala correspondence course. We don’t agree on the Colby matter. I agree that if he is as bad as alleged, he should go. There is no evidence from the BoC that is so. I have sent my letters to the state attorney general and to the local DA to you this am.
ORC may be a good thing for Coos County. But, the BoC, the worst negotiators on the planet, certainly are not negotiating the best possible deal for the county.