I am a longtime resident of rural Lane County. I have many concerns about how our local government is being administered, but there are two issues that top my list. They are public safety and fiscal responsibility.

As a former Lane County deputy sheriff, I am fully aware of how important it is for the Lane County Sheriff’s Office to be adequately staffed. The Lane County Board of Commissioners has allowed Lane County to become one of the most under-policed counties in the entire country. This must change, and Jake Pelroy is the person who can do it.

As to fiscal responsibility, I find it hard to understand why the commissioners would agree to a waste disposal contract that is a windfall to a private company at the expense of the community members. Why did they allow dump rates to almost double and eliminate the small credit for recycling? We can rely on Jake Pelroy to pursue what is in the public’s interest rather than support personal profit.

John F. Kilcullen
Marcola