Incumbent David Loveall and Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon are vying to represent Lane County Commissioner District 2 in next month’s election. The district includes Springfield and some surrounding areas.
Loveall and VanGordon acknowledge that on the issues at least – they have a lot in common.
They both see economic development as a solution to many of Lane County's problems. They’re also frustrated by the county’s efforts to build a food waste diversion facility and the multi-million dollar feud with Springfield’s waste hauler Sanipac, who opposes the project.
Where they differ, said Loveall, is approach and personality.
“The political arena is a toxic arena and there's a certain number of folks that would rather see me be out of politics because of the style of which I run this job,” Loveall said. “I want people to be accountable. I'm going to ask the hard questions and I'm going to fully represent my constituents, even when the questions I ask are uncomfortable, and unpopular."
VanGordon says the negative headlines the Board of Commissioners has attracted in the last few years has distracted from important issues. He says that discord may also make it more challenging, and time consuming, to solve big problems that require collaboration.
"In a place that we misconstrue noise with strength all the time, I want people to believe that the government can be effective,” VanGordon said. “I want people to feel like trust in government is something that we can rely on."
One controversy at the Board in recent months was a third-party investigation that Loveall had used inappropriate language and retaliated against staff. Loveall said the complaint was resolved and never should have been made public.
He told KLCC he expects the outcome of a lawsuit he filed against the county to show he followed policy.
Homelessness
Another area where the two men differ is how they talk about homelessness.
VanGordon said he believes to make progress on homelessness, local leaders need to improve economic conditions for households who are employed, but are struggling to afford basic needs and housing. He said the county also needs to make progress on social infrastructure, like the planned behavioral health stabilization center.
“That is going to help us get people into the right locations, and the right solutions,” VanGordon said. “And the county has to be a much better advocate on the legislative level to get the resources and policy changes to make these things successful."
Loveall said Lane County has created a “toxic charity system” that has made vulnerable people dependent on the government. He argued those receiving services need to show they’re making progress toward healing.
“They’re here because it's easy to be homeless here,” Loveall said. “You can get three meals a day, the climate’s fairly adequate where you can spend the winters here with the exception of about 30 days when the Egan warming centers are open. If we changed our model a little bit where our services required some skin in the game from our participants I think that would turn things around in a quick fashion.”
Public Safety
Loveall said one of his main goals in filing for reelection is to continue work to address Lane County’s public safety challenges. He said the county needs to hire more deputies and stabilize other parts of the criminal justice system.
The county is currently in the midst of researching a few new funding options to pay for more deputies and staffing in the district attorney's office. The current recommendations include a payroll tax, or a special taxing district.
Loveall said he’s uncomfortable with the idea of new taxes, but acknowledged the county will likely need to find new revenue to meaningfully improve public safety.
“Its a complex problem, but it's going to take cooperation from the citizens to agree that we can’t spread the budget butter as thin as have in the past,” Loveall said.
VanGordon said he’s also concerned about shortstaffing across the criminal justice system.
“If there’s an easy solution that had no negative consequences, the board would have done it already 30 years ago,” VanGordon said.
He said county leaders need to partner with the sheriff and work to regain taxpayers’ trust. He said the best option would be for the public to be involved in the process to gauge what services matter most to them, and what they would be comfortable paying.
A third candidate, William Thomas Monsoor, did not return KLCC’s request for an interview. At Springfield’s City Club event earlier this month, he said he supported public safety, community cohesion and diversity.
Both Loveall and VanGordon have raised tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations.
The entities and people that have given significant, recent contributions to VanGordon include the Pape Group Inc., The Oregon Realtors Political Action Committee, Wildish Land Co and several unions.
Loveall’s biggest financial supporters this campaign cycle include Kathleen Jones-McCann, whose family owned several timber businesses, private company Olsson Industrial Electric and Ed King, a winery owner locally known for efforts to build a gravel mine outside of Oakridge.
Waste Connections, the Texas-based national waste management company that owns Sanipac and the landfill that’s receiving Lane County’s diverted garbage, has also donated to both VanGordon and Loveall’s campaigns.
