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Correction: A previous version of this column incorrectly stated that former Lane County County Counsel Erin Pettigrew filed a lawsuit against Lane County. Pettigrew filed a tort claim notice, which county commissioners agreed to settle. Additionally, the column incorrectly described Pettigrew’s work history before being hired by Lane County. She worked for four organizations in the decade before being hired as county counsel.
As a small-business owner in the Eugene-Springfield communities, I’m more than busy running my company. But lately, I’ve had to stop and shake my head at how local media have treated one of our elected Lane County Commissioners — David Loveall.
Lookout Eugene-Springfield continues to publish stories built on misinformation, and it’s past time to set the record straight. The most recent example is Elon Glucklich’s opinion piece, which claims that commissioner Loveall’s behavior led the county to pay a $250,000 settlement to former Lane County Counsel Erin Pettigrew. That claim is not only inaccurate — it distorts the truth entirely. It frames the settlement as being solely the result of Loveall’s actions with no mention of commissioner Pat Farr, whose name also comes up in the tort claim records outlining the lawyer’s allegations.
The information needed in the investigation is protected under Oregon Public Meetings Law, so unless Lookout is going to fight to make that entire settlement public — not just the selective details included in Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky’s public email – the public is never going to hear the whole story. Why isn’t he being asked for evidence for his claims?
Let’s be clear: Settlements are all too common in Lane County government. These payouts send the wrong message — to both county employees and to taxpayers like me — that the truth has a price. If finding the truth becomes inconvenient or uncomfortable for county staff, they just write a check and make the problem disappear. That’s not accountability —that’s avoidance.
Every one of these kinds of agreements is approved by the board of commissioners — not by any one person acting alone. Before Loveall was even elected, the former board of commissioners, including Heather Buch and Laurie Trieger, pushed out the former top county attorney in 2022 after Buch said he didn’t “have the emotional intelligence for the position.” Just days earlier, she had voted to approve his stellar, “exceeds expectations” evaluation.
After their failed attempt to fire him, the commission approved a nearly $50,000 raise to sweeten his departure. Funny how no one called for commissioners to personally reimburse taxpayers then.
Commissioner Loveall didn’t run for office to make friends with bureaucrats; he ran to represent voters and business owners like me who want common sense and accountability. Naturally, an incoming commissioner would have questions about a new county counsel with a work history spanning four different organizations over the past decade, including at several law groups that advocate for left-wing organizations.
It’s clear the board and the county have a culture problem. It’s a culture that tells elected commissioners — people chosen by voters — to stay silent about the performance of unelected bureaucrats. When commissioners dare to question the status quo, they’re treated as troublemakers. Bureaucrats claim to “know best,” even as dysfunction piles up and taxpayers are left footing the bill for more mismanagement.
There’s another ugly truth here: Those who challenge the bureaucracy are punished for it. Their reputations are smeared, their names dragged into human-resources complaints and their time consumed by internal investigations. The current board majority cares more about protecting the internal “administrative state” than uncovering the truth. In Pettigrew’s case, the county could have fought her tort claim notice. Instead, the board caved, opting for convenience over principle.
So when I see a flood of negative stories about Commissioner Loveall right before his re-election campaign starts, it’s hard not to notice the timing. It’s political gamesmanship. The bureaucratic establishment has chosen its target. But make no mistake: They’re not just coming after Loveall. They’re going after voters like me who believe in accountability and expect transparency and honesty from our government.
In my experience with Commissioner Loveall, he’s the first to admit he’s not perfect. He’s a Navy veteran. He’ll even tell you he’s got a sailor’s mouth from time to time. But let’s not confuse passion with misconduct. He has been vocal about his frustration with the direction Oregon and Lane County have been heading in, and frankly, I share that frustration. The problems here won’t change if our elected leaders just nod in agreement and keep quiet.
The complacency and self-interest that dominate Lane County government does not serve us. Loveall has made it his mission to challenge that culture, demand transparency and put taxpayers first — even when it makes people uncomfortable inside the county building. Some folks would prefer he play along, but that’s not who he is.
For those of us who work hard, pay our taxes and expect our government to be accountable, commissioner Loveall’s willingness to question the system is more than refreshing. It offers hope. Springfield, Eugene and Lane County need more leaders like him — ones who put truth and integrity above politics.
