The final forum in a three-stop, county-wide candidate series wrapped up this week at the Camp Sherman Community Hall, giving voters one last structured look at the six people vying for two open Jefferson County Commissioner seats before Tuesday's primary deadline.
Organized by the Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, the forums touched on economic development, housing, rural land use, and short-term rentals — themes that resonated differently depending on which corner of the county the candidates called home.
Position 1: Wunsch vs. Curtiss
Incumbent Commissioner Mark Wunsch faces challenger George Curtiss, a Crooked River Ranch resident, in the Position 1 race.
Curtiss used each of the three forums to hammer a recurring message: Jefferson County has hemorrhaged services over the past four years, and it's costing the local economy.
"Policy changes and economic growth are all going to go together here," Curtiss said at Camp Sherman. "In the last four years, Jefferson County has lost so many services… We're not spending our money in our county."
He specifically called out the closure of the county animal shelter and the outsourcing of 911 dispatch as examples of services that left — and dollars that followed them.
Curtiss also drew applause from Camp Sherman attendees on the short-term rental question, saying he opposes accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a matter of community character: "We already have too much traffic out there. Everybody shouldn't put an ADU on their property because all it is going to do is double the traffic."
Position 2: A Crowded Field Narrows its Differences
The Position 2 race features incumbent Kelly Simmelink against three challengers: Ara Erdekian, Greg Mead, and Bill Atherton.
Simmelink, who has served since 2017, staked out a measured position on rural residential development, saying that while he supports property rights, he does not want Jefferson County to become a bedroom community for Bend or Redmond.
"What do we become? The bedroom community for Redmond or Bend? I don't want that," Simmelink said. "I want our kids to not only live here, but be able to live here and have a home."
Erdekian echoed Curtiss's service-loss concerns, pointing specifically to the looming closure of the Madras Wells Fargo branch this June — the only national bank in Jefferson County — as a threat to financial access, especially for small businesses and older residents.
Greg Mead, a newer presence in local politics, took a more process-oriented approach, emphasizing the need for infrastructure before growth: "If we don't have the infrastructure to sustain growth, then we are going to find ourselves without the opportunity to make any policy."
Bill Atherton, drawing on what he described as a lifetime study of land use across multiple states, stressed that public input must be central to any development decision.
What Voters Are Watching
The forums drew audiences from Crooked River Ranch, Camp Sherman, and Madras — communities with different priorities and growth pressures. Camp Sherman residents in particular voiced concern about the county's December 2025 ADU ordinance and its potential to accelerate short-term rental activity in mountain communities.
Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. Drop boxes are available at the Jefferson County Courthouse, Culver City Hall, and other locations throughout the county.