Baker County voters reject county government overhaul by wide margin

Baker County voters rejected a major restructuring of county government by a 75.14% to 24.86% margin, ending the push to replace the current commissioner system with a county administrator model.

Unofficial primary election results from the Oregon Secretary of State showed 4,207 no votes and 1,392 yes votes on the countywide measure, with 5,599 ballots cast on the question. County turnout in the May 19, 2026 primary reached 46.67%, with 6,038 ballots counted from 12,937 active registered voters.

The measure appeared on the ballot as “Changes County Government structure and process for selecting County Chair” and asked, “Shall County government move to County Administrator form of government?” If approved, it would have shifted Baker County away from its current arrangement, in which two commissioners serve part-time and the chair is a full-time commissioner who also handles county administrator duties. Under the rejected proposal, the board would have appointed a professional county administrator to serve under the commissioners, and the board chair would have been selected annually by the commissioners.

The change also would have made all three commissioner positions equal in time commitment, duties and compensation, with the restructuring set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Baker County ballot materials said the proposal amended Order No. 97-229.

The Baker County Board of Commissioners sent the question to voters on a 3-0 vote Sept. 8, 2025, after a sometimes tense special meeting at the Baker County Courthouse. At the time, Commissioner Michelle Kaseberg backed the referral and said equalizing the commissioners’ roles was the right approach. Commissioner Christina Witham said she did not think the board needed to send the question to the ballot, while then-chair Shane Alderson argued voters should make the call.

The election result leaves the county’s current structure in place, despite months of debate over whether a county administrator would improve efficiency and take day-to-day management off an elected commissioner’s plate. It also keeps the existing salary and duty split intact, including the chair’s $101,088 pay reported in March, roughly double the compensation of the other two commissioners.

The outcome showed little appetite for structural change in Baker County government. Voters made clear they were not ready to replace the current system with a new administrative model, at least for now.