In 2012 Melissa Cribbins was first elected Coos County Commissioner.  She served the last 2 years of Andy Jackson’s term in office after his death.  She was reelected to 4-year terms in 2014 and 2018.  In both years she won a majority of votes in the May primary thus avoiding a November runoff.

         In this primary Ms. Cribbins received 49.68% of the votes cast.  She will face Rod Taylor this November.  He got 41.02% of the vote.

         Mr. Taylor has a taste for political drama. On the campaign trail he usually carries a cute little 3- legged dog named Finn in a bag.  At one meeting he had Finn in a bag slung over one hip and a holstered hand-gun on the other. He and Finn have appeared together in numerous political videos.

         Mr. Taylor has a neatly trimmed white beard and a receding hairline he often covers with a baseball hat.  Sometimes he seems mild-mannered but he is a fire-brand.

         Geddry has previously reported these incidents involving Mr. Taylor:

  • He was part of the January 6th 2021 Stop the Steal Insurrection in Washington D.C. That night he

was arrested by D.C. Police for violating an emergency curfew order.

  • The evening of April 8, 2021 Mr. Taylor was ordered by the Bandon Police to leave a neighborhood where, according to a police report, he was “yelling at a house with a bull-horn after the people residing there were doxxed for reporting an unsafe business to OSHA.”
  • On August 17, 2021 Mr. Taylor led a group who disrupted a Coos County Commissioner meeting. According to the World Newspaper the meeting, “quickly turned chaotic when a crowd of protesters demanding an end of to mask mandates filled the board chambers an began yelling threats at the Board.”

The heart of Mr. Taylor’s campaign is what he calls, “local control”.  He wants the County to reject state and federal funds, this would force massive cuts in public services.  He also thinks the County Commissioners should defy state and federal law and dictate policy on a wide range of issues including resource management, crime, education, elections, business regulations, planning and public health.  Some of his proposals would violate the legal authority of other local governments such as school boards and cities.

         Mr. Taylor wants more jail beds but opposes the tax levy that would build them. He claims local control of resources will fund public safety.

         Mr. Taylor is an agitator telling fables.  If elected he will not implement his agenda but he will increase conflict and division.