Your Commissioner Should Know Your Road
Imagine calling your county commissioner about a pothole on your street, a wildfire burning toward your neighborhood, or a new development going up next door — and learning that commissioner lives 45 minutes away and has never driven your road. That’s the system Deschutes County has right now. All three commissioners are elected “at-large,” meaning they answer to the entire county but don’t specifically represent any one area. This November, voters will have a chance to change that by approving a new district map. It’s one of the most important local votes in years, and here’s why it matters.
What Do Commissioners Actually Do?
Most people pay more attention to presidential races than county commissioner races. That’s a mistake. Deschutes County commissioners control a $727.8 million budget — bigger than many small cities in Oregon. They decide how your property tax dollars are spent. They fund the sheriff’s office, the county jail, and the 911 dispatch center that answers over 256,000 calls every year. They run the county’s health clinics, including behavioral health and addiction services. They maintain 900 miles of county roads. They oversee the only landfill in the county, which is expected to fill up within the next few years.
Perhaps most importantly, commissioners are the ones who decide what gets built on land outside city limits. If you live in Tumalo, Terrebonne, Sunriver, Deschutes River Woods, or any other unincorporated area, the commissioners are essentially your city council. They approve or deny housing developments, destination resorts, and zone changes. They set the rules for short-term rentals and wildfire-resistant construction. For roughly 60,000 people living outside Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and La Pine, commissioners are the closest elected officials they have.
Why Districts Make Sense
Right now, all commissioners are elected countywide. That means candidates tend to focus on Bend, where about half the county’s population lives. A rancher in the southern part of the county, a family in Terrebonne, or a retiree in Sunriver can easily feel invisible in that system. The proposed district map fixes this by creating five geographic districts: two in Bend (east and west), one covering Redmond and surrounding areas, one for the Sisters area stretching into northeast Bend, and one for La Pine and south county.
Under this plan, your commissioner would live in your community. They would drive your roads, shop at your stores, and understand the specific challenges your area faces — whether that’s wildfire risk near Sisters, water supply issues south of Bend, traffic growth in Redmond, or housing costs in Bend’s core. When you call with a problem, you’d be talking to someone who gets it because they live it.
This is how most counties and cities across America already work. Bend’s own city council elects members by ward. It’s a proven model that balances local accountability with countywide governance. Commissioners would still vote on the full county budget and countywide policies together — but each one would bring a specific community’s perspective to the table.
A Voice for Every Corner of the County
The at-large system has left rural communities underrepresented for decades. Under the current setup, it’s entirely possible for all five commissioners to come from Bend. Districts guarantee that La Pine gets a seat, Redmond gets a seat, and the Sisters area gets a seat. That’s not just fair — it’s smart. When commissioners make decisions about wildfire building codes, landfill siting, water policy, or road maintenance, every part of the county deserves someone at the table who understands those local impacts firsthand.
About 30 percent of Deschutes County’s population lives in unincorporated areas, outside any city. These residents depend entirely on county government. Districts ensure they aren’t an afterthought.
What About the Critics?
Some opponents worry that districts will divide the county or create partisan advantages. But consider: district lines can be redrawn after the 2030 census, and the newly expanded five-member board will oversee that process. No map is permanent. What is permanent is the principle that local representation matters. Voters in Redmond should be able to choose a commissioner who focuses on Redmond. Voters in south county should have that same right. The at-large system concentrates power; districts spread it out.
Vote Yes This November
Deschutes County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Oregon, with a population that has exploded from around 115,000 in 2000 to more than 200,000 today. The old three-commissioner, at-large system was designed for a much smaller, simpler county. Voters already took the first step by expanding the board to five members in 2024. Approving the district map is the natural next step — making sure those five commissioners truly represent every community in the county, not just the most populated one.
This November, vote yes on the district map. It’s about making sure the person who controls your tax dollars, your roads, your public safety, and your land actually knows your neighborhood. That’s not complicated. That’s just good government.