This story was originally published on LincolnChronicle.org and is used with permission.
Cathie Rigby thinks two years of dysfunction on the Lincoln County board of commissioners makes voters ready to make a change.
Casey Miller, the one-term incumbent and longtime county employee who has been at the center of much of that turmoil, believes new commissioners in the other two seats will greatly smooth things out.
For the first time in its history, all three Lincoln County commission seats were – or are – up for election this year and all the candidates say they have ideas to get the commission and county back on track.
Former sheriff Curtis Landers defeated appointed incumbent Walter Chuck in the May primary and will take office in January. Cristen Don finished first in a four-candidate primary to complete the final two years of Claire Hall’s Position 2 seat but fell short of a majority, so is facing Joe Steere in the general election.
Miller and Rigby are seeking Position 1 on the commission to which Miller was elected in 2022 and took office in January 2023 after working 14 years as the county’s public information officer. But he finished second to Rigby in May with 24.5 percent of the vote in a six-candidate race. Rigby was first with 30.8 percent.
In the Nov. 3 general election, the challenge for Miller and Rigby is to see who can claim the 7,400 votes given to the four primary election candidates who finished below them.
Issues with commissioners, county administration and some department heads is long and by now well documented.
Miller was banned from working in his office by the county’s human resources director in late 2024 but 21 months later a federal judge agreed with Miller that ban was improper. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission also agreed with Miller’s complaint that commissioners – including himself – had been taking secret, improper votes on exemptions to a 2025 hiring freeze. Miller and county counsel Kristin Yuille – who has done much of the county’s administrative work since Tim Johnson resigned almost two years ago – have repeatedly clashed over everything from meeting agendas, formats and topics, access to information and — until the judge’s order — access to his office.
With the settlement last week of his federal lawsuit against Yuille, Chuck and human resources director David Collier, Miller now hopes with two new commissioners he can help bring “a new era” to the commission.
To him, that means better and more open communication, reinvigorating the search for a new administrator, and revamping commission meetings to include more workshops and, when needed, executive sessions to discuss personnel and legal issues.
“I hope to have some real heart-to-heart conversations in ’27,” he told a Lincoln County League of Women Voters candidate forum. “… we need to be able to talk about difficult subjects with each other and in public” including moving into a more modern era of how meetings and administrative work is conducted.
Rigby came to Newport from Utah two years ago to manage grants for the city of Newport. Her professional background there was office and legal work for attorneys and housing issues for two local Salt Lake City governments. She applied for Kaety Jacobson’s position after the commissioner quit in 2025 and then again this year after Hall’s sudden death in January.
She agrees with all the other candidates that the commission and administration need help – and new blood.
“We need to start fresh with new people who understand government and can develop the process,’’ she said in an interview. “People who understand the process and work well with others. You can’t burn the house down with every issue or point.”
The two have been campaigning in typical fashion for Lincoln County – lawn signs, social media posts, some advertising and plenty of personal and joint appearances.
But going back to the spring’s primary campaign, Rigby has a sizeable lead over Miller in fundraising, according to the latest reports with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.
In 2026 Rigby has received $21,700 in cash contributions and $8,000 in in-kind contributions for a total of $30,625. Notable contributors since May include the Oregon AFL-CIO, the Lincoln County Democratic Central Committee, Monica Kirk, Cynthia Jacobi, Doug Hunt, Deborah Kozar Duus and Karen Edmiston.
In 2026, Miller has received $6,000 in cash contributions and $2,800 in in-kind contributions for a total of $8,800 but has received few contributions since the May primary. Notable contributors since May include Linda Snow and Christine Jamison. The financial reports also indicate that so far this year Miller has $13,300 in personal expenditures that have not been reimbursed.
Five questions
The Lincoln Chronicle asked the two candidates to respond to five questions that mostly revolve around commission work and relationships. Here are their answers.
1. Why are you seeking this position?
Casey Miller: I’m seeking re-election to help county government serve people effectively, fairly, and respectfully. Fourteen years as the county’s public information officer and nearly four years as a commissioner have shown me what works and where we need improvement. Housing, public safety, emergency preparedness, and economic opportunity depend on sound decisions and reliable follow-through. I want clearer responsibilities, open decision-making, and better support for employees delivering those services. My responsibility is to every constituent, including those who disagree with me.
Cathie Rigby: I’m running for county commissioner because I want to create a future where we don’t have to choose between the place we love and the life we can afford. And I’m committed to the hard work and the sacrifice I learned first from my mother — to be that stable leader that this community deserves to turn policies into real, on‑the‑ground, practical solutions. As the daughter of immigrant parents who came to this country from Peru, my life was changed forever when I was eight years old and my father passed away. I watched my mother sacrifice and work hard, taking care of our family, all while working five jobs. She used to say, “Deje todo para que tenagas todo,” which translates to “I left everything so you could have everything.” She was my hero, and she believed that becoming an elected official is the ultimate fulfillment of the American Dream. This was her dream for me. When I was 13, our neighborhood became too expensive and too violent for a family like mine, and we were forced to leave the community we loved and rebuild elsewhere. As a mother who raised six children of my own, I feel it too – when the cost of living outpaces your paycheck. I know the pain and sacrifice of uprooting your family so you can put food on the table. Lincoln County can’t afford to lose any more neighbors to the rising costs that are outpacing us. That’s why I’m committed to working toward practical, meaningful solutions to the challenges our community is living through right now.
2. What is the Board of Commissioner’s greatest challenge, and how would you address it?
Rigby: I believe the board’s greatest challenge is building and keeping public trust. Every other goal – whether it’s a budget, a project, or a policy change – depends on whether the community, individual commissioners, and county staff can trust that each of us is operating in good faith. Trust is earned through transparency, consistency, and listening, so I’d focus on all three. Transparency: People should be able to see how and why decisions are made. That means clear agendas posted early, plain-language explanations of budget items and votes, and honest communication when something goes wrong. Delivering bad news early and directly builds more credibility than letting it come out later. Consistency: The board should apply the same standards to everyone and follow through on its commitments. When we say we’ll report back, we report back. Trust grows from small promises kept. Listening: Public comment shouldn’t be a box we check. I’d want multiple ways for residents to engage, such as evening meetings, meetings in other areas of the county, online options, listening sessions, and town halls. Then I’d close the loop by showing people how their input shaped, or didn’t shape, a decision and why. I’d also remember that trust has to be built internally too. Staff and partner agencies need to see a board that is respectful, prepared, and fair. Disagreement is healthy. What matters is that people leave a meeting believing they were heard and that the process was honest. If we get that right, the community is far more willing to support us through the difficult decisions.
Miller: Our greatest immediate challenge is governing together with clear responsibilities and dependable procedures. Disagreement is anticipated. Employees and residents still need decisions they can understand and rely on. I would propose written board rules covering agenda access, shared information, administrative authority, and follow-through. I would also listen to employees about obstacles to delivering services and establish shared priorities with regular progress reports. One commissioner can bring proposals forward but lasting improvement requires the board to act together.
3. Do you see an issue with commission meeting planning and structure? What would you suggest?
Miller: Yes. My experience as a county employee and commissioner has shown me the need for clearer, more consistent meeting procedures. Written rules should explain how commissioners, departments, and residents request agenda items, set deadlines, and receive an explanation when requests are deferred or declined. Every commissioner needs a dependable opportunity to bring matters before the board. Meeting materials should clearly state the issue, cost, and requested decision. Public work sessions should allow fuller discussion, regular meetings should present business clearly, and executive sessions should be purposeful and legally permitted. Meeting records and public participation should be timely and accessible.
Rigby: I am familiar with meeting structure and have participated in governance structure-building for cities, boards and nonprofits. The best practice is to have a clear strategic plan from the onset and to devote time to the organization and planning for that structure. It should never be done on the fly, and stopping county business as a way of demanding a particular outcome or process also does not work and can often lead to delays that cost the county and its partners dearly. Plans are made in advance, staff and commissioners agree to the rules, and processes are followed. Commission work sessions should be part of this process and can be a good tool for discussing new concepts or proposals at more stages than just the meeting in which a vote is needed. Work sessions also allow commissioners to brainstorm together, ask questions of staff, request additional information or have a deeper discussion of potentially problematic or less understood directives.
I believe this is an opportunity to show that the county has learned from past difficulties and new commissioners for all three seats have an ideal opportunity to prepare and plan for setting up that structure. The process should be transparent and predictable, and the community should know what to expect and what comes next in an organized system. A board of three new, competent commissioners who understand the dynamics and purpose of public meetings, agenda setting, and public engagement can establish a framework that will allow for county work to happen in an organized and professional manner.
4. Does Lincoln County need a full-time administrator? What attributes would you want, or should commissioners divide administrative responsibilities?
Rigby: The county has yet to fully engage in this governance structure long enough to evaluate how well it can work. The board-and-administrator structure is a tested model we have seen work to great success elsewhere. I believe once new commissioners have been elected, establishing a strong interim administrator needs to be a top priority. This person can help the board and staff stabilize while we search for a highly qualified permanent administrator and help us prepare the strategic plan. Once the board has had an opportunity to establish clear priorities and become fully engaged in all of the work, we can hire a permanent administrator to execute the strategy long-term.
Miller: I favor continuing with the administrator model while reviewing whether it is working as intended. Before establishing its first formal administrator position in 2021, the county operated through the board- department leadership with staff carrying administrative responsibilities. That earlier approach is worth examining for potential savings and whether it could meet today’s needs. For an administrator, I would want strong management and financial skills, respectful leadership, and accountability to the full board. We also need a public recruitment update — the authorized process, applicant numbers, the recruitment firm’s work, remaining obstacles, and the hiring timeline. Recruitment and the review of responsibilities called for in Ordinance 517 can proceed together. Any change in the administrative model should follow public review and appropriate changes to the ordinance.
5. Next year, once the election season is over, there will be an effort to get Lincoln County commissioners to put an ordinance before voters to move to a five-member commission, with at least four of those positions elected by geographic zone, and to limit salaries to $65,000 per position. Proponents believe it could help alleviate gridlock and communication issues that can occur with a three-member commission. What do you think of this idea? Or, what would you propose?
Miller: Thirty of Oregon’s 36 county governing bodies have three members. I’m open to considering five and geographic representation, but we should first explain what problem the change would solve. We should compare district and countywide elections, chair selection, commissioner responsibilities, and total costs. A $65,000 salary limit should reflect the workload and whether people from different financial circumstances can afford to serve. We can improve board rules, strategic planning, and administrative accountability now. Any proposal for five should show voters how it would improve representation and county services.
Rigby: I don’t think the problem is that we have too few commissioners. The problem is that we need competent professionals in these roles, working collaboratively and with mutual respect. Adding more seats is not the solution to that. The people who can do this job well, managing a large budget, overseeing county services and working through complicated decisions, can and will choose to earn more than $65,000 elsewhere. A salary cap at that level means we wouldn’t be getting the most qualified people to serve. It would also limit who can afford to run at all, which hurts working families and communities like mine that already have a hard time getting a seat at the table. That’s not equal opportunity. Our county is also in turmoil right now. Once three new commissioners are seated, we can hire an administrator and finally put our form of governance into better practice. That’s how we fix the communication problem and gridlock. Let’s get competent, qualified people in the room first, and then we will see if the structure is really the problem we need to address.
