Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill running for another term
By Tom Peterson
Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill has thrown his hat in the ring for the primary election on May 21, 2024.
There are five county positions that will be open during the election - County Assessor, County Clerk, County Commissioner, Position #2, County Sheriff and County Treasurer.
Jill Amery
Thus far Magill and County Assessor Jill Amery are the only two incumbents thathave committed to running for their respective positions.
County Clerk Lisa Gambee said she will not run but noted, Chief Deputy Chrissy Zaugg is running.
“Chrissy has been instrumental in every election process improvement over the 8+ years I've been County Clerk, and she knows the office inside and out. I am grateful to have such an excellent person running for this position!”
CCCNews has not heard back from County Commissioner Pos. 2 Steve Kramer nor current County Treasurer Elijah Preston on whether they intend to run.
You can find information about the May 2024 Primary on the County’s Upcoming Elections page (versus our Current Elections page, which has the school bond info). Names of who have filed are located there with a link to their filing form after the position name.
The last day to file is March 12, 2024, at 5 p.m.
A letter from Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill:
Lane Magill
As the Wasco County Sheriff I wanted to let everyone know that I filed for re-election on September 14th 2023.
As every election cycle comes up, the question of why is always asked. Over the last four (4) years as Sheriff I have played a significant role in a number of projects, and in my estimation, need to be moved to the completion stage. Each of these projects has a direct impact for the citizens of Wasco County as it relates to public safety. The following in no particular order are:
The Sheriff’s Office, with our partners at The Dalles City Police, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, and other rural public safety agencies has begun the process of upgrading the 911 dispatching computer system. As the system has aged, the dispatch services we provide our citizens have become inefficient. This project is estimated at $350-$400K.
The Sheriff’s Office is currently upgrading our overall radio system for better response time(s) for calls in Wasco County. We are currently working on an agreement to partner with the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon State Police radio system. By becoming a partner with these organizations we will improve the overall radio coverage in Wasco County by at least 25%. These improvements will give us the ability to respond quicker to calls for service as well as improve deputy safety. The estimated cost of this project is $350K-$400K.
As noted the above projects have significant financial impacts on the overall Sheriff’s Office budget. Over the last several years the office has set aside funding for these projects along with potential grant dollars to assist with the purchase and implementation of each project.
Another major goal as your Sheriff is to build and develop the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center. Some citizens have asked why the Sheriff is involved and leading such a project. The short answer is individuals who experience Mental/Behavioral Health and Drug Addictions create significant impacts to law enforcement and the criminal justice system for the region. As the Sheriff, it has been my mission to make sure we hold individuals accountable for their actions but also make sure we offer treatment options for individuals so they do not recidivate. We must continue to develop evidence-based programs that give individuals the ability to improve their lives, all the while, being held accountable for victims.
I need to keep working on long-term solutions for Ballot Measure 110 (decriminalization of drugs) and Senate Bill 48 (automatic release of arrested people for over 170 criminal acts). As a member of the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA) we are trying to facilitate ways to correct these issues, as they have a direct impact on public safety for our citizens and our children. Will there be an easy fix? Absolutely not. However, we must stay engaged.
Speaking further about BM110 and SB48 and hearing from citizens who state “just lock them up”; unfortunately this doesn’t work in all cases. In fact, with some situations, it has the opposite effect. We must figure out ways to restore balance back into our criminal justice system while holding people accountable for their actions. We must think outside the box to improve upon the systems we now have and think of new ways to create safer communities utilizing needed services. One may ask how we do that. The answer is simple. We must come together and have productive conversations about improving public safety and eliminate the politics. Again we need to restore the balance with a common sense approach for these improvements. As Sheriff, I’m willing to have those hard conversations.
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