Wasco County Commissioners approves endowment fund

During the public hearing, former commissioner Bill Lennox presented an alternative solution. He proposed allocating a quarter of the money into a separate infrastructure fund so citizens can feel the benefits right now.

“I remember years ago when we had very few dollars, and we were always struggling,” he said. At one point, the county laid off nearly the whole road department. “So this is just a real great opportunity, and I commend the county for stepping forward.”

Lennox suggested the county should “take this windfall, grow it, yes, grow it, but also allow the community to feel the benefits as they are.”

Commissioners responded with compliments, but had reservations.

Wasco County Community Development Director Kelly Howsley-Glover said, “I think there’s a concern that if we don’t preserve the principal and invest that, the returns that we are anticipating seeing once the 15 years is over will not be significant enough to meet at a minimum those core services challenges,” referring to the same era of financial woes Lennox hearkened back to.

Commission Chair Scott Hege also expressed concern about choosing any of the individual infrastructure projects commenters had proposed (solar, a new high school, restoring Kramer Field, etc). He noted the details of how the fund is run and used and what projects are funded will be up to future commissioners. Choosing a project now could cost millions, significantly reducing future possibilities, he said.

Additionally, Howsley-Glover highlighted that Google is still paying fees, separately, to local taxing districts. Those fees aren’t going into the fund and will stay available to schools, cities, and other entities while the fund matures.

The ordinance is not hard-and-fast forever, but more of a guiding structure that can be changed, commissioners said, and a webpage about the fund to answer frequently asked questions is planned.

The commission also approved the ORmap 2026 Intergovernmental Agreement. Outdated maps of Wasco County’s maze of property lines were updated using modern GIS technology through this partnership with the state Department of Revenue. Next up is the whole area of Dufur.

On the urging of Commissioner Rodger Nichols, the commission also voted to write a letter to the Forest Service on behalf of Valerie Fowler, a Gorge Commission member, who has a vineyard in the Gorge. After the first prescribed burn last, she and several other growers lost their crop to smoke contamination, and the Forest Service recently announced another. She is worried it will happen again, without the public notice that was promised after the last one, and wants it postponed until the grapes get harvested, Nichols said. Commissioners unanimously agreed to write the letter.