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West says no to bid for third term
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| H&N photo by Gary Thain Commissioner Steve West an-nounces his decision not to run. |
published Dec. 16, 2003
Hopes announcement will end 'attacks' by other commissioners
By BROOK REINHARD
Klamath County Commissioner Steve West announced this morning he will not seek a third term in office.
"My announcement today will please my critics and disappoint my supporters," West said in a statement, "which goes to show you that in the world of politics, even not running for office won't please everybody."
His announcement comes at a time when the board of commissioners is mired in a controversy over how to spend tourism promotion revenues. Last week, Commissioners John Elliott and Al Switzer rescinded a prior board decision to award a tourism contract to the Great Basin Visitor Association.
Elliott and Switzer said West acted improperly in scoring proposals from Great Basin and the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce - West gave a negative score to the chamber, a decision that was decried by his fellow commissioners because the chamber's executive director Stephanie Bailey has filed for West's board seat. Bailey has since been removed from tourism negotiations by the chamber's board of directors.
"Hopefully this will put an end to the unfounded attacks against me by certain people, especially the other two county commissioners," West said. "It was just so uncalled for and so incredibly offensive, we thought we'd make the announcement so people could decide whether I cooked the books or not."
The commissioner said he, his wife and his two daughters decided in August that he would not seek re-election. He originally planned to delay the announcement until his family decided what to do after his term ended, but said the events of the last few weeks convinced him to make the decision public.
West, 49, has not ruled out running for another political position, going back into the private sector, or moving out of the Basin entirely.
"I think that eight years is enough for a person to be a county commissioner," he said, adding he's been amazed with the ears he's been able to bend on the federal level. "The access that I've been privileged to have to the Bush Administration as a county commissioner is beyond my wildest dream."
West, who worked for Pacific Power and as a private energy consultant before being elected to the board of commissioners in 1996, said he'll continue to work - often behind the scenes - on natural resource issues, which he said is his passion. He said he fully expects to serve the remainder of his second term in office.
"What my future holds after completing my current term as county commissioner is in God's hands, as it always has been," he said.
Whoever is elected to succeed West will replace him in January 2005. Two candidates have filed for the race so far. They are Stephanie Bailey and William Thornton.
Reporter Brook Reinhard covers local government. He can be reached at 885-4415 or (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at breinhard@heraldandnews.com.
Hopes announcement will end 'attacks' by other commissioners
By BROOK REINHARD
Klamath County Commissioner Steve West announced this morning he will not seek a third term in office.
"My announcement today will please my critics and disappoint my supporters," West said in a statement, "which goes to show you that in the world of politics, even not running for office won't please everybody."
His announcement comes at a time when the board of commissioners is mired in a controversy over how to spend tourism promotion revenues. Last week, Commissioners John Elliott and Al Switzer rescinded a prior board decision to award a tourism contract to the Great Basin Visitor Association.
Elliott and Switzer said West acted improperly in scoring proposals from Great Basin and the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce - West gave a negative score to the chamber, a decision that was decried by his fellow commissioners because the chamber's executive director Stephanie Bailey has filed for West's board seat. Bailey has since been removed from tourism negotiations by the chamber's board of directors.
"Hopefully this will put an end to the unfounded attacks against me by certain people, especially the other two county commissioners," West said. "It was just so uncalled for and so incredibly offensive, we thought we'd make the announcement so people could decide whether I cooked the books or not."
The commissioner said he, his wife and his two daughters decided in August that he would not seek re-election. He originally planned to delay the announcement until his family decided what to do after his term ended, but said the events of the last few weeks convinced him to make the decision public.
West, 49, has not ruled out running for another political position, going back into the private sector, or moving out of the Basin entirely.
"I think that eight years is enough for a person to be a county commissioner," he said, adding he's been amazed with the ears he's been able to bend on the federal level. "The access that I've been privileged to have to the Bush Administration as a county commissioner is beyond my wildest dream."
West, who worked for Pacific Power and as a private energy consultant before being elected to the board of commissioners in 1996, said he'll continue to work - often behind the scenes - on natural resource issues, which he said is his passion. He said he fully expects to serve the remainder of his second term in office.
"What my future holds after completing my current term as county commissioner is in God's hands, as it always has been," he said.
Whoever is elected to succeed West will replace him in January 2005. Two candidates have filed for the race so far. They are Stephanie Bailey and William Thornton.
Reporter Brook Reinhard covers local government. He can be reached at 885-4415 or (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at breinhard@heraldandnews.com.
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