Mountain of Misinformation
"I will continue to sift through the mountain of misinformation that exists on the Curry County Taxes site as time permits me."
Source: Curry County Commissioner Smith email May 28, 2013
With the exception of comments from the Webmaster in red, all blue text below is verbatim from the May 28, 2013 email. All alleged
"misinformation" (2 points) provided in the email is included.
Question: If elected, would you commit to acting in the capacity of a volunteer or part time commissioner and to pursue hiring a full
time administrator for this county?
Candidate Smith - "Yes I do if it's the will of you." LIE #1
I’m confused as how this
is a lie, the procedure to form a charter committee is very clear in ORS. The board has discussed lawfully forming a charter
committee so that the people can decide on the form of government they wish with their vote. This is something that should not
be taken lightly or done in haste as this process would effectively change the counties 'constitution', the governing document of
the people and should be done by the people, in my opinion.
Agreed; the commissioner is confused.
The subject of a Home Rule
Charter or charter committee has nothing to due with the question.
Today with a quorum and majority vote, Curry County Commissioners
could agree to hire a county administrator and, on an individual basis, reduce their positions to part time and, reduce their salaries
to a pittance.
As to the original question and response (LIE #1), go to the video of the January 23, 2013 Board of Commissioner meeting
and watch the last 30 seconds (LIE #4 - Home Page).
"There's not enough hours in the day. So there's no way I could do it half
time."
Question: If elected, would you decline to join PERS (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System) and instead agree to participate
in some other retirement plan used in the private sector such as a 401k?
Candidate Smith - "Yes." LIE #3
AND THE NEXT
Commission Chair Smith's response when asked by a citizen during the public comment period (1/23/2013 commissioner
meeting) if he had followed through on his commitment 8/18/2012 as a candidate not to join PERS.
Commissioner Smith - "Still
looking into the other possibilities of another retirement plan." LIE #4
Citizen - "OK. So you have not joined the PERS?"
Commissioner
Smith - "I have at the moment, yes."
I have NOT joined PERS and am looking at different diversified private sector retirement plans. I have NOT received 1$ of PERS
retirement benefits and DO NOT receive any retirement benefits (except for what is paid into social security) for the first six months
in office. I plan to use a private sector retirement plan and have been working with my accountant, although she has been busy
(tax time and extension filings) and I have been busy.
OK. So, was Commissioner Smith telling a LIE during the Curry County Board of Commissioner meeting January 23, 2013 when he
said he had joined PERS?
Or, after being caught in another LIE, did Commissioner Smith then withdraw his application for
membership into PERS?
We may never know. What we do know, according to communication from county payroll staff is that
PERS contributions for Commissioner Smith began August 1, 2013.
Cost to taxpayers: $894.30/month. Cost to Commissioner
Smith: $0
POINT NO. 1
POINT NO. 2
