By Jim Heffernan
I was very proud to serve as a board member of Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD), until I wasn’t. I was convinced the District had at its heart a deep concern for the people of Tillamook County. Sadly, I think I was wrong.
Now I think the District and Board’s main concern is maintaining a favorable public image, whether it is deserved or not.
In April of 2023, the Sunset Empire Transit District (SETD) in Clatsop county ran out of money and had to cease operations for more than a month. It has now returned to operations but at a reduced level of services.
In April of 2023, Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD) operated 7 days a week with 245 scheduled routes and 16,176 monthly Dial-a-Ride patrons. By May 12, 2024, it deteriorated to a 6 days a week for in-county service, with 147 scheduled routes and 7,366 monthly Dial-a-Ride Patrons.
I believe the problem for both districts is a fundamental structural problem of District governance. The board consists of 7 well-intentioned citizens who are elected by the public. The board leaves day-to-day operations to the management. The board hires the General Manager and approves budgets. The General Manager runs the operation and I suppose if things get bad enough, the board can fire the General Manager. Otherwise, there is a definite hands-off attitude by the board.
I believe the basic problem is that the board bases its actions on what Management chooses to tell them. For both SETD and TCTD, this has led to nasty surprises for the board. What is worse, the public loses out on services they are dependent on.
People in Clatsop County lost the services they depended on for a few weeks. People in Tillamook County have lost their Sunday in-county services and each of their numbered routes has been cut back.
In Clatsop County, management withheld the true state of finances until they ran out of money. In Tillamook County, management has never told the board how many drivers and dispatchers are still on the payroll.
The public is the one who gets the shock of the bus that isn’t there anymore.
I believe Clatsop County has corrected its financial reporting. I believe it’s time Tillamook started being honest every month about how many employees it has.
I think maybe Lincoln County has a better system. Because they are organized under a different state statute, management of the district reports to County Commissioners instead of an elected board. I think County Commissioners will always be better at governance than amateurs who pay $10 to file for election and meet once a month.
