There is an election this month in Oregon, but some special district races across the state don’t have any candidates.
Special districts oversee local services like water, fire, and sanitation. They're largely made up of elected volunteers who receive limited payment, according to Frank Stratton, the Executive Director of the Special Districts Association of Oregon.
Now, Stratton said it’s getting harder to find people to run, especially in rural districts with a small pool of people to choose from.
"The Greatest Generation were extremely involved in all of these issues and giving back to their communities," said Stratton. “And now that they're passing on, younger generations don't have the same commitment to being involved and giving up their free time. And people's lives are much busier now.”
In Deschutes County, over 17% of special district seats up for election have had no candidates file. In Lincoln County, that number is over 21%.
Lincoln County Clerk Amy Southwell said some of those positions are on boards that no longer exist, but didn’t follow the county's process to disband.
There are five open positions for the Cape Foulweather Sanitary District in Lincoln County, and no candidates have filed to run.
A former board member with the district, Paul Erskine, told KLCC that it dissolved several years ago, and liquidated its funds into the nearby Otter Rock Water District.
Erskine said he felt Cape Foulweather had taken the proper steps to be removed from the ballot. He said while a candidate could technically be written in for one of these positions, a new board would have no funding or tax base to work with.
“They’d have a difficult time reaching quorum,” said Erskine.
If a special district seat isn’t filled, the remainder of a board can appoint someone. Stratton said if they can’t meet quorum to do so, or can't decide on an applicant, the decision goes to the local county commissioners.
"It's pretty rare that they can't fill a vacancy," said Stratton. "It seems like they're ultimately able to get somebody in the community to come out to volunteer to serve on the board."
Stratton said it's a missed opportunity when no one files for a seat. He said while the ethics and transparency requirements can be intimidating, these roles are a grassroots way of getting involved in local government.
Elections officials have now started sending out ballots for the upcoming election, which takes place May 20.
