04/23/2025
Simon Hare resignation letter.
Chairman Blech, Commissioners Barnett and Smith and fellow citizens of Josephine County,
It is with a profound sense of duty that I notify you, effective immediately, of my resignation from the position as Josephine County Budget Officer.
The urgency of this action is precipitated by Board’s inaction yesterday. I believe Chairman Blech is likely working with outside legal counsel to negotiate a potentially multimillion dollar contract for a County Operations Manager, Michael Sellers.
On Wednesday, April 18th I learned of the current and proposed salary and benefits of interim newly created position of Operations Manager, Michael Sellers. His previous position was IT Director. Most recently he was promoted to interim HR and Finance Director in addition to his other duties. His name and title are listed in multiple budget documents totaling $388,000 total compensation reflecting his current compensation. That’s nearly $1,500 a day.
This compensation package was negotiated and approved by Chairman Blech as the result of weeks of closed door, backroom meetings with Sellers. I think it is safe to assume with the full knowledge and delegated authority of the other two commissioners, Barnett and Smith.
Standard HR practices demand an objective review of comparable compensation for public officials. Because of Blech’s delegated authority and Sellers being interim HR Director, this decision was not public and there are no justifications or comparables. By example, Josephine County’s most affluent comparative county is Yamhill County. Their highly experienced Administrator’s salary is $203,000 and that position is responsible for all functions of Yamill County government. It is yet to be determined what Sellers will be responsible for, but he is currently directing the operations of IT, HR, Finance, Public Health, potentially Planning and Public Works with next to zero experience in these areas. There have been no discussions of the board to provide either staff or the public with clarity about whom is running the county… but all assumptions point to Sellers.
What is happening at Josephine County is the antithesis of transparency, public service, representative government and against the explicit will of the voters.
Matthew 18 “… if your brother sins against you, go and tell him of his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 17 If he refuses to listen, tell it the church [the people].
On Friday, April 20th myself and a respected witness brought this misguided fraud to Blechs’ attention. Since that time there has been no private or public discussion of the Board to assume the situation has been rectified.
When it was brought to the attention of commissioner Barnett and Smith they did nothing, and thus are either incompetent or 100% complicit in this fleecing of Josephine County taxpayers. Yesterday, April 22nd, a public meeting of the Board came and went. Commissioner Barnett and Smith had every opportunity to rescind the delegated authority granted to Chairman Blech, remove Sellers as Operations Manager and put a stop to the potential contract and “they had nothing to say.”
How could this have happened?
Local businessman, Andreas Blech, was appointed to fill a vacancy created by former Commissioner John West earlier this year.
The two newly elected Commissioners Chris Barnett and Ron Smith shirked their responsibility and appointed the unelected commissioner Andreas Blech as chairman of the board and shortly after delegated him unilateral authority to hire/fire all employees at will and oversee administration of the county.
Since that time, “chaos” is the term that best describes the environment at the County and any claim of a hostile work environment is likely not unfounded. A culture of secrecy, “brush it under the rug” and “rules for thee, but not for me” permeates from the Board of Commissioners Office. Unprecedently light agendas on trivial matters are release no more than 24 hour minimum of advanced notice to the public.
The recent Voluntary Resignation Plan, authored and orchestrated by Sellers, against the sound advice of many, including then Finance and HR Director Sandy Novak, cost taxpayers over $633,000. This deceptively marketed idea was sold under the banner that Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding was ending and there was a huge budget shortfall. This was not the case. The backstop to SRS is timber receipts, which actually provided more revenue. Novak reluctantly took the buyout and over $70,000. More than 18 employees took advantage of the VRP and most will be replaced. All nonessential or underperforming staff could have been terminated at nearly zero cost to the taxpayer.
Since being appointed to fill Novak’s roll as Budget Officer, it is undeniable Sellers is running Josephine County, hiring and firing at will and setting budget directives. The position of DOGE Officer or Efficiency Manager was dangled in front of me, likely as a ploy to keep me quiet until the contract was signed. My first loyalty is to my neighbors and fellow citizens of Josephine County. I have made my fair share of personal mistakes and have fallen short of the glory of God, but I have always done my best to tirelessly work to improve the lives of everyone in my community. This situation is “a worst-case scenario” and has caused more than a couple sleepless nights. It’s truly the realization of all fears about “behind closed doors, unrepresentative government’ gone amok. If Blech thought this was such a great idea, why not bring the salary and benefits package to a vote of the Board and subject to public scrutiny?
Besides the taxpayers of Josephine County, the real victims are the good staff still there or that have been unceremoniously fired. There have been countless other shady actions of this board that have unfortunately become routine standard practices, of which I can play no part.
This Board is woefully unqualified, ill-prepared and apathetic to make positive change. Josephine County has two of the highest poverty zip codes in the state. The county holds nearly $1 million in economic development funds and so far this year the Board has approved $13,000 to fund Boatnik and GP Concerts in the Park. The average personal income is roughly $50,000 and the Commissioners make twice that. Most days it’s been my experience that they’re in the office late and leave early if they come in at all. 199 is by far the most dangerous road in Oregon and one of the top ten deadliest roads in the nation. How many times has the BCC met with ODOT or talked about what can be done to improve safety and save lives. ZERO. The current wait time for septic system inspections in the county is eight months. What is the BCC doing about this backlog of inspections. NOTHING. They fail to show leadership and punt issues like the Library lease and 4-H.
Blech must be held to account for breaking public trust. He needs to be pressured to resign or face recall immediately. Barnett and Smith should be pressured daily to resign instead of making the voters go through a lengthy and expensive recall process or a petition filed on June 6th.
