Who Picks Up the Slack When Counties Dissolve?

As timber payments dry up, two Oregon counties are warning that they could dissolve in a year, leaving many in the state wondering how to provide services for residents.

1 minute read

July 15, 2008, 10:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Is it possible that one of Oregon's 36 counties could disappear? And if so, would anyone step in to provide basic services to its residents?"

"The answer to the first question, according to many in and out of government, is yes, and soon. At least two Oregon counties, Curry and Josephine, warn they may stop providing state-mandated programs as soon as a year from now."

"But no one is sure who would step in to take over services such as elections and law enforcement, which has county leaders concerned and the state scrambling to put together a system for saving counties in crisis."

Monday, July 14, 2008 in The Oregonian

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