Before ballots close Monday night, Jefferson County commissioner candidates made their final pitches to voters across the county — including at a forum held at the Camp Sherman Community Center, the final stop in a series hosted by the Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
The forums drew sharp contrasts between incumbents and challengers on issues from economic development to the Wells Fargo closure and the county’s habit of outsourcing services that once operated locally.
Position 1: Wunsch vs. Curtiss (and Chard)
Incumbent Commissioner Mark Wunsch is seeking re-election for the Position 1 seat. He’s being challenged by George Curtiss, a Crooked River Ranch resident, and Tony Chard.
Curtiss made a consistent argument across all three forums: Jefferson County has been bleeding services, and the county needs to bring them back.
“In the last four years, Jefferson County has lost so many services… We’re not spending our money in our county.”
He pointed to the closure of the local animal shelter and the outsourcing of 911 dispatch as examples of lost local infrastructure. Curtiss also voiced opposition to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), a new county ordinance passed in December 2025 that he says would worsen traffic in communities like Crooked River Ranch.
“I have property in Crooked River Ranch, and I am against ADUs. We already have too much traffic out there.”
Position 2: Simmelink vs. Erdekian, Mead, and Atherton
Incumbent Commissioner Kelly Simmelink, who has held Position 2 since 2017, is facing a three-person challenger field: Ara Erdekian, Greg Mead, and former Lake Oswego City Councilor Bill Atherton.
Simmelink defended his record while drawing a line on rural residential development, saying Jefferson County does not currently have the industry to support large residential growth.
“So what do we become? The bedroom community for Redmond or Bend? I don’t want that. I want our kids to not only live here, but be able to live here and have a home.”
Challenger Erdekian echoed Curtiss’s concerns about lost financial services, specifically calling out the approaching closure of the Madras Wells Fargo branch this summer — the only major bank branch of its kind in Jefferson County. She argued the county needs to advocate for residents who depend on in-person banking access.
Greg Mead took a planning-first approach, saying that infrastructure must precede any growth decisions.
“If we don’t have the infrastructure to sustain growth, then we are going to find ourselves without the opportunity to make any policy.”
Atherton, who has studied rural land policy extensively, stressed that the public must be central to any development decisions.
Short-Term Rentals in Camp Sherman
At the final forum, the question of short-term rentals in Camp Sherman sparked notable responses. Curtiss reiterated his opposition to ADUs, saying the added density would harm rural community character. Other candidates stressed that community input should guide any rental policy changes.
Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Monday, May 19 at a Jefferson County drop box or the county clerk’s office.