Dear Governor Brown,

As a member of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, I respectfully request the State of Oregon consider the impacts of vaccination mandates on rural schools, volunteer fire agencies and other vaccine mandated sectors.

For Clatsop County I am particularly concerned for the support staff, custodians, bus drivers and teachers’ aides that serve as the foundation for our K-12 schools.

In rural Oregon, vaccine hesitancy is real and many hard-working Oregonians will be required to choose between the vaccine and their personal freedom (and, thus, job). As you can imagine, many will choose personal freedom.

It is important that even during a pandemic, government is respectful of individual rights and freedoms.

We need to be sensitive to the legacy current decisions will have on the longstanding relationship between the government and citizens.

Maintaining public trust and confidence is a hallmark to local governance – vaccine mandates will forever change this trust balance – and not in a positive manner.

After eighteen long months of responding to the pandemic, we have learned many things, including the efficacy of masks, social distancing, personal hygiene and staying home when sick. While the vaccine is a valuable tool that Clatsop County will continue to advocate for and dispense, it is not without skeptics in our community.

I ask that you allow schools, hospitals, rural fire agencies and others to make local decisions on whether and how mandates are structured, communicated and implemented.

Our response to COVID-19 cannot be a one size fits all – local control, local values and local decisions are the path forward.

As we anticipate the inevitable COVID surges, lets continue to work together to educate, vaccinate, test and support those most in need, but simultaneously allow local agencies and industries to be the final decision-maker as to the specifics of their local response/approach.

Mandates had their time and place in the early stages of the pandemic; let’s make the transition to the more typical and desirable approach of local community-based decision- making and accountability based on an underlying respect and acknowledgement of personal rights and freedom.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Courtney Bangs

Clatsop County Commissioner, District 4