The race to fill the open seat for Clackamas County's Board of County Commissioners, Position 4, has narrowed to five candidates, following a recruitment period that saw fifty-nine hopefuls throw their names into the ring. The application window, which closed on April 9, has whittled down to a select group set for further scrutiny.
According to an announcement by Clackamas County, the five finalists are Tom Ellis, the mayor of Happy Valley; Jeff Gudman, a former Lake Oswego City Councilor; Diana Helm, the former Mayor of Damascus; Christine Lewis, a Metro Councilor; and Jackie Manz, another former Lake Oswego City Councilor. Their selection represents a cross-section of seasoned local government experience, they will now face a panel of their peers come May 19.
The interviews are penciled in for a live audience, both in-person at the Commission Hearing Room on the fourth floor of the Public Services Building located at 2051 Kaen Road in Oregon City, and for remote viewers on the county's YouTube channel and the Clackamas County Government Channel. The county has made it clear, though, that while the meeting is open to public attendance, they will not entertain public comments during the session.
Following the interviews, a deliberation by the Board will take place, with a decision expected on the same day. Interested parties can follow the development on the County Commissioner Vacancy page, where updates to the process and timeline are posted.
