By April Bailey
Just one year into her second term, Commissioner Bell made another authoritarian power grab. This should not have been surprising given her re-election AFTER the COVID lockdowns. However, this time she failed due to an overwhelming negative response from the public. Below is my originally published response in December 2022 as “Ordinance #88, the EDC, and the Death of Economic Freedom by Unelected Bureaucrats, “and published on various platforms.
Over the last three years, many of us were shocked into awareness of the heavy-handedness of unelected officials from such bureaucracies as the CDC, the NIH, and the Oregon Health Authority. This last week it became apparent that our local government is willing subvert our free market economy under a small council with 2 employees.
On November 30th, the Tillamook County Commissioners held a public hearing on Ordinance #88 Business License Fee for Unincorporated Tillamook County. This new fee for businesses outside of cities in the county was so vague in its language that it included definitions such as “‘Doing business’ means to engage in any activity in pursuit of profit, gain, livelihood or any other purpose [emphasis mine].” Worse still was the “Violations and Penalties” section of this ordinance included a “$600.00 for any one offense. . . Each day constituting a separate offence” and “Inspection and Right of Entry.” This means that individuals with home-based businesses believed to be in noncompliance could be forcibly entered by a warrant: Selling firewood or eggs without a license would become a risky business.
Why did the Board of Commissioners consider a hearing on this ordinance? That will have to be answered by the commissioners, but specifically Commissioner Bell. Commissioner Bell sits on the Economic Development Committee of Tillamook County that recommended this ordinance. Reviewing the minutes of the EDCTC back to 2020 reveals Commissioner Bell had primary role in the formation of this ordinance.
Why did the Board of Commissioners consider a hearing on this ordinance? That will have to be answered by the commissioners, but specifically Commissioner Bell. Commissioner Bell sits on the Economic Development Committee of Tillamook County that recommended this ordinance. Reviewing the minutes of the EDCTC back to 2020 reveals Commissioner Bell had primary role in the formation of this ordinance.
Bell did not work alone. Bill Sargent, County Counsel, stated during the public hearing that past commissioners refused to hold a hearing for this ordinance. How long has this ordinance been under consideration? That is unclear at this time, due to the amount of documentation that must be obtained and sorted through. What is clear is that in September 2020 Terre Cooper, EDCTC Director, presented this ordinance to the EDCTC Board for drafting.
Why all the concern about private individuals pursuing economic freedom through various means, many of which are already under multiple state and federal regulatory bodies? Why did Ordinance #88 give the EDCTC the ability to raise fees at any time and be solely responsible for approving licenses and violation fees? How much does the EDCTC need beyond its multiple grants and their $108,000 county budget? According to their website most of their accomplishments include sitting on other bureaucratic boards throughout the county and state and administering small business grants. So young men selling firewood and families selling a litter of puppies in a year need to fund EDCTC staff attendance of Zoom meetings?
Democracy may die in darkness, but economic security dies under the bureaucracy of unelected administrators. The response from the citizenry was sufficient to lay Ordinance #88 to rest temporarily, but it needs to be given a proper burial at sea. Forget a threatening China, communism just came to Tillamook County from the office of an administrator paid by us, rented from our community college.
Post-original article: Here is a list of other authoritarian moves in Bell’s second term as Tillamook County Commissioner. Here is a short list of her votes as a county commissioner: Repeatedly interrupted public comment by dissenting individuals, often unavailable to constituents (documented numerous unanswered emails and a consistently full voice mail box), reduced the ELECTED County Treasurer position to less than half pay with no benefits, voted for her own significant raise during an election year and retro-activated it back 9 months, voted to support transfer of federal timber harvest lands (county revenue) to the Grande Rhonde Tribes without a public hearing, is working from a list of 20 ways to raise county revenue that includes a county fee to TPUD (which will be passed on to customers) and includes a county sales tax, supported county long-term debt increasing by 30%, consistently limited public comment to 2 minutes despite often having zero public comments at most commissioner meetings, created the county centralization department with essentially a county manager typical in a home rule county (5 stipend commissioners like Clatsop), sits as chair to 4 county advisory committees, and the purchase of a $2 million building with potential millions of renovations that may be used for new commissioner offices.
While Commissioner Bell has not attempted to revive this proposed business license, it should be noted that in the December 2022 Tillamook Economic Development Council meeting she still defended this proposal and was the LONE vote in favor of continuing to try to pass it through the county. One can only imagine what she might try if elected for a third term. George Washington set the policy for our country in 8 years, in its infancy: Why does Bell need more than 8 years to enact her policies in Tillamook County?