Candidates Outline Priorities for East Lane

Last week in Leaburg, incumbent Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch and challenger Jake Pelroy both singled out inadequate rural law enforcement coverage as a major concern, though they differed in the experience they said they would bring to the Lane County Board of Commissioners.

Buch stressed her record in county government, wildfire recovery and housing development. Pelroy cited his military service, legislative experience and his work as a small business owner involved in public policy. They are competing for the nonpartisan East Lane County District 5 seat, which represents communities that include the McKenzie River Valley and other rural areas of eastern Lane County.

They acknowledged how hard it is to provide adequate sheriff’s patrols across Lane County’s extensive rural areas.

Pelroy pointed to insufficient sheriff’s coverage as one of his highest priorities if elected. He told the audience that only three deputies are typically patrolling the county at any given time, a level he considers inadequate for an area he compared in size to Connecticut. Citing the sheriff’s description of Lane County as among the least-patrolled counties in the nation, Pelroy said increasing law enforcement coverage would be an absolute priority of his administration. The issue is particularly significant for McKenzie Valley residents, for whom long distances between communities and limited staffing can contribute to lengthy emergency response times.

Buch, who lives outside city limits, described her own experiences with the limits of rural service, including a dry household well and an encounter with a stranger who jumped over her property gate and confronted her at her doorstep. Those experiences, she said, reinforced her understanding of how important dependable law enforcement protection is for residents living beyond city boundaries. Buch pointed to her support for additional sheriff’s patrols in the McKenzie Valley when county resources became available, though she acknowledged that more work remains. She also emphasized that public safety extends beyond sheriff’s deputies to mobile crisis response teams, behavioral health programs, victim services and adequate funding for the District Attorney’s Office. Those services, she said, must be coordinated, because funding decisions affecting one part of the system can have consequences elsewhere.

Buch also devoted considerable attention to the continuing effects of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire, particularly the difficulties businesses face in rebuilding. Although government recovery programs have helped residents replace destroyed homes, she said restrictions on available funding have made business recovery much more difficult. She described the imbalance as an obstacle to restoring the economic vitality of communities such as Blue River. As chair of Oregon’s Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council, which advises the governor through Oregon Emergency Management, Buch said she is working to identify improvements in disaster response and recovery programs.

Pelroy emphasized his experience in military service, state government and small business as preparation for serving on the Board of Commissioners. A Lane County native who grew up in Veneta, Pelroy said being raised in a small-business household helped shape his understanding of the financial and regulatory challenges facing working families.

He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 and served three combat tours in Iraq as an intelligence analyst. After leaving military service in 2010, Pelroy attended the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. His involvement in local political campaigns eventually led to work on a successful campaign for the West Lane County Commissioner seat. In 2012, he established a business providing political and public policy assistance to clients, primarily at the local government level. Pelroy also spent eight years working in the Oregon Legislature, including six years as chief of staff to a state senator. He described helping advance numerous pieces of legislation and emphasized his experience working across party lines to gain support for bills. Pelroy suggested that his familiarity with the legislative process and relationships developed in Salem could benefit Lane County when seeking state assistance or addressing issues requiring legislative action.

Buch also cited recent zoning changes in downtown Blue River that allow greater development capacity, potentially creating opportunities for additional housing and businesses as the community rebuilds. She suggested similar approaches could help other unincorporated communities address housing shortages and encourage investment. Drawing on her previous experience as projects director for St. Vincent de Paul and her work in housing development, Buch emphasized the relationship between housing availability and economic growth. Businesses need employees, she said, but attracting workers becomes difficult when affordable places to live are unavailable.

In addition to public safety, Pelroy emphasized his opposition to tax and fee increases and his efforts to reduce government regulations he believes create unnecessary burdens for residents and businesses. He presented his combination of military service, legislative experience and business ownership as a foundation for working with other commissioners and state officials to address county problems.

Although both candidates identified public safety as a central concern, their presentations reflected different professional backgrounds and approaches to county government.

Buch emphasized her experience administering county programs, coordinating services and addressing the long-term needs of rural communities. Her background includes small business ownership, housing development and service with the Homes for Good Housing Agency. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University. Her campaign priorities include continued wildfire recovery, expanded rural sheriff’s patrols, affordable utilities, housing and access to health care and other essential services.

Pelroy focused on his experience working with state lawmakers, navigating government regulations and advocating for public policies affecting businesses and working families. He emphasized the need for improved law enforcement coverage, fiscal restraint and reducing regulatory obstacles. Pelroy and his wife, Kelly, have two sons.

For McKenzie Valley residents, the election comes as communities continue addressing the long-term consequences of the Holiday Farm Fire, limited law enforcement coverage, housing shortages and the difficulty of maintaining essential services across a large rural region.

The candidates’ presentations at the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce event underscored the continuing importance of those issues to East Lane County, even as they offered different experiences and priorities for addressing them.

Voters will choose between Buch and Pelroy in the November 3 general election.