Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes Appointed to NACo Western Interstate Region Board

Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes has been appointed to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Western Interstate Region (WIR) Board of Directors through a presidential appointment by Association of Oregon Counties President Erin Skaar of Tillamook County. The appointment places a Union County elected official inside a regional body that channels Western county priorities to the national level.

WIR is an official affiliate of NACo dedicated to advancing Western interests at the national level. The region represents counties from 17 Western states and lists priorities that include public land use and conservation, community stability, economic development, and preserving the traditional Western way of life. Membership in WIR is funded through individual state county associations. The Association of Oregon Counties release noted that Commissioner Anderes’ new post complements his existing national work and networks.

Anderes already serves on the Board of Directors of the NACo National Center for Public Lands Counties. The Center’s stated mission underscores its focus: “The Center is dedicated to advancing policy and practice research focused on counties containing federal public lands. Its mission is to deepen understanding of the unique challenges faced by public lands counties through strategic research, collaboration, and engagement with federal, state, tribal, and local policymakers.” County-level participation in both WIR and the National Center positions Union County to follow federal public-lands policy discussions more closely.

At the national level, NACo material shows Anderes has been listed among elected officials on a NACo task force appointed by NACo President James Gore in November 2024. That task force roster includes co-chairs Hon. Adrian Garcia, Commissioner, Harris County, Texas, and Hon. Cynthia Lee Sheng, Parish President, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and features a mix of county executives, supervisors, and emergency management officials. The NACo fragment also references disaster declaration statistics, including the explicit figure “538” in connection with major disaster declarations for the 2000-2024 period.

Locally, Union County records confirm Paul Anderes is an active commissioner in 2026. County minutes name the Board of Commissioners as R. Matthew Scarfo, Chair; Paul Anderes, Commissioner; and Jake Seavert, Commissioner, with County Administrator Shelley Burgess attesting. The board has advanced Ordinance 2026-01, an amendment to the Union County Zoning, Partition, and Subdivision Ordinance (UCZPSO) that adds a temporary workforce housing conditional use and revises Articles 12, 13, and 21. Planning staff provided notice of the amendment to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development at least 35 days before the first evidentiary public hearing.

For Union County residents, Anderes’ dual roles mean county priorities tied to federal public lands, economic development, and workforce housing will have a presence in regional and national policy conversations. County officials and residents should watch for any recommendations or federal policy shifts emerging from WIR and NACo forums that could intersect with local land-use decisions and funding for public-lands counties.