As ballots make their way back to the Jefferson County Clerk's office with a May 19 return deadline, voters got their last look at the candidates for two county commissioner seats during a forum hosted by the Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce at the Camp Sherman Community Hall.

The three forums — held across the county — drew candidates from both contested races to address pressing local concerns. The conversations often returned to a central theme: Jefferson County is losing services, and residents are feeling the gap.

Position 1: Wunsch vs. Curtiss vs. Chard

Challenger George Curtiss — who grew up in Crooked River Ranch — drew applause at multiple forums by pointing to services the county has handed off in recent years, including the local animal shelter and 911 dispatch, both now outsourced.

"Policy changes and economic growth are all going to go together here," Curtiss said. "In the last four years, Jefferson County has lost so many services... We're not spending our money in our county."

Incumbent Commissioner Mark Wunsch, current commission chair, defended the county's record on economic development while emphasizing fiscal responsibility.

Position 2: Simmelink vs. Erdekian vs. Mead vs. Atherton

The Position 2 race features incumbent Kelly Simmelink, who has held the seat since 2017, against three challengers: Ara Erdekian, Greg Mead, and Bill Atherton, a former Lake Oswego City Councilor.

Erdekian echoed Curtiss's concerns about diminishing county services, specifically highlighting the closure of the Madras Wells Fargo branch this summer as a sign of eroding access to financial services.

Challenger Greg Mead, who described himself as still learning the county's economic landscape, stressed the importance of infrastructure before growth.

"Infrastructure needs to go ahead of any decisions that are made for employment," Mead said. "If we don't have the infrastructure to sustain growth, then we are going to find ourselves without the opportunity to make any policy."

Rural Development: Bedroom Community or Something More?

One of the sharpest exchanges came on the question of allowing more rural land for residential development.

Simmelink expressed caution, saying Jefferson County currently lacks the industry to support large-scale residential expansion. "So what do we become? The bedroom community for Redmond or Bend? I don't want that," he said. "I want our kids to not only live here, but be able to live here and have a home."

Atherton said public input must be central to any land-use decisions, noting he has "made a lifelong study" of rural development across multiple states.

Short-Term Rentals and Camp Sherman Tensions

For the Camp Sherman audience, no topic hit closer to home than short-term rentals. The county adopted a new ordinance on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in December 2025, and not everyone is happy about it.

Curtiss came out firmly against ADUs, expressing concern about increased traffic and strangers on neighboring properties — particularly in Crooked River Ranch, where he owns land.

"We already have too much traffic out there," Curtiss said. "Everybody shouldn't put an ADU on their property because all it is going to do is double the traffic, double the amount of people there are in here."

Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on May 19. Voters can return ballots to the Jefferson County Clerk's office or any official drop box location.