The JoCo Republican

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There has been a lot of noise, speculation, and misinformation surrounding Commissioner Ron Smith, the appointment process, and the recently filed Petition for Writ of Mandamus in Josephine County. 

This video is intended to calmly explain what is actually happening and, just as importantly, what is not. A writ of mandamus is not a punishment, a threat, or a political attack. 

It is a legal tool used to ask a court to clarify whether an elected official has a mandatory duty under the law or whether lawful abstention is permitted under specific circumstances. 

In this case, the petition asks the Circuit Court to clarify the scope of Commissioner Ron Smith’s duties under the Josephine County Home Rule Charter, specifically Section 24 regarding the filling of vacancies. This action was not filed to pressure, bully, or intimidate Commissioner Smith. There is no court order, injunction, or stay in place, and the petition does not seek to compel a specific vote or outcome. It simply asks for legal clarity so county government can function lawfully, transparently, and without ongoing uncertainty. 

We respect Commissioner Smith and stand behind him. While the judicial process plays out, we encourage everyone to remain polite, respectful, and diplomatic. Personal attacks, threats, and social media outrage do not help and only distract from the real issue: ensuring county government operates within the bounds of the law. 

If you have questions or concerns about the mandamus process, the Charter, or the appointment issue, feel free to reach out directly rather than relying on rumors or commentary designed to inflame rather than inform. 

This is about responsibility, not pressure. 

Clarity, not conflict. 

Lawful governance, not chaos. 

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You all saw the video above showing the vandalism and hostility coming from recall organizers toward us and other citizens. Now you will see what the Commissioners have been dealing with week after week at public meetings at the Ann Basker Auditorium. 

As I mentioned in the video, I want people to see the pattern of behavior that has existed since day one. From the moment these men took office, a small group of people created disruption and chaos, repeatedly threatening a recall both on social media and in person. 

At the time, they did not have a legitimate reason. But of course they brought up weekly a decade-old civil case that was already well known when Chris ran for Commissioner, yet the threats continued anyway. This recall was not spontaneous. It was always part of the plan. 

In this video, you will see how these individuals conducted themselves. Keep in mind, this is not an attempt to disparage or single out anyone personally. There is a designated three-minute public comment period at these weekly meetings where citizens are allowed to speak their minds. 

What you are seeing did not happen once or twice. Incidents like this occurred almost EVERY SINGLE WEEK throughout the year. I will be highlighting only some of the most outrageous moments.

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Vote NO ! 

Some disturbing events that happened during the recall , and some new vandalism that happened today. 

Questions , talk to me: [email protected] 

Website on the recall get the data , learn the truth! : https://www.jocorepublicans.org/page/no-on-recall

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BE SURE TO VISIT THE RECALL SITE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION AND REBUTTALS ON THE RECALL : https://www.jocorepublicans.org/page/no-on-recall

The Josephine County Republican Party Central Committee voted unanimously to support Commissioner Chris Barnett and oppose his recall. While there are always disagreements over decisions made by public officials, Chris Barnett has shown himself to be a strong conservative and has done nothing to warrant a recall. 

Chris Barnet is currently spending this Christmas season opposing his recall so he can continue his work for the county. Please help him by voting NO and immediately turning in your ballot. 

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Please Vote No on the Recall - Ballots are due no Later than January 6th. The recall effort against Chris Barnett was spearheaded by a disgruntled former employee. 

County employees earn up to $150,000 or more including benefits. The income of tax payers who pay for them is far lower. 

Our county needs employees, but responsible use of our tax-money must be made by our commissioners. It is their job to decide which employees the county needs. 1) Rumors are circulated that a recall attempt will be made unless the elected official does as requested. 

2) Next, a well-funded and Democrat supported operation sets up a signature gathering effort with one-sided claims about the official. These accusations do not tell the whole story and are often outright false, but they are used as an excuse to gather signatures. 

3) The timing of the recall effort is designed to force a special election which costs the county $50,000 or more to run. Since it is a special election, turnout is often low and many Josephine County voters who would oppose the recall don’t realize that to oppose it they must vote and vote NO. 

4) Furthermore, because a special recall election has been scheduled, voters who are short on time to investigate are led to believe that the public official did something wrong. Our commissioners should not be subject to these kinds of constant threats. We need to stop this cycle, by voting NO and rejecting the recall. The Josephine County Republican party has investigated this matter and concluded that Chris Barnett has done nothing which warrants a recall.

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In this episode, I talk through Commissioner Ron Smith decision to recuse himself from the vacancy appointment process and why it has raised questions across the community. 

I want to be clear that I support our Commissioners and I support Ron Smith. This discussion is not an attack. It is an effort to walk through the law, the County Charter, and the responsibilities tied to the office. 

Much of the online conversation has focused on ORS 244 and what it does and does not require, along with what the Josephine County Home Rule Charter says about filling a vacancy. 

I cover that ground, but I also go further and look at recent situations around the country where government officials attempted to step away from mandatory decisions and how courts and the public responded. The goal of this episode is context, not controversy. 

I hope Ron listens, and I hope this helps bring clarity to a complicated issue at an important moment for Josephine County.

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Let me be clear and take responsibility for this. At the time, the information I had pointed toward Rogue Indivisible, and we still have photo evidence showing their presence at the initial meeting where the recall of the commissioners was discussed. 

That meeting was focused on how to pursue a recall, and based on the information available to me then, I made several videos reflecting that understanding. After later reviewing records from the Secretary of State and submitting formal public records requests, I learned that neither Rogue Indivisible nor CRG organized or funded the recall. 

Their involvement was limited to volunteering at signature tables, which is their legal and civic right, regardless of political disagreement. I also want to be clear that I regret what Matt Spurlock was put through as a result of my earlier statements. 

He did not organize the recall, he did not finance it, and he was simply exercising his right to speak out on issues he believed in. I should have corrected the record sooner, and I take responsibility for that. At the same time, I want to state plainly that I still fully support our commissioners. 

Acknowledging where I was wrong does not change my belief that the commissioners acted in good faith and did nothing illegal or immoral and deserve our support. What I believe should have been done since day one of this recall was to debate the recall list itself. Which I did write the "Debunked" papers about halfway through the recall process but unfortunately the entire campaign about Rogue Indivisible was far more damaging to our Commissioners than the ones trying to recall them in my opinion. It made the public think that we were reaching for a fantasy and blaming a conspiracy theory instead of facing the truth.

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Support our Commissioners Website has been Updated with the latest Documents as I showed in the last post. 

Download the documents and share them with your neighbors, send them to your contacts on your phone , show them the website if they are living on the county and registered to vote the special election is coming and people need to know the truth. Download the White Pages an the Fact Sheets here :  https://www.jocorepublicans.org/page/no-on-recall

 Note:
The financial figures referenced on this website and this podcast are taken from commissioner-produced White Papers dated September 14, 2025. These figures were based on assumptions at that time, including that certain positions would remain unfilled. Subsequent county finance records indicate that some positions were later refilled or budgeted to be refilled, which may reduce recurring savings. The September 2025 figures should be understood as estimates based on conditions at that time, not as verified ongoing savings. 

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The Recall Election has Started , what's next? 

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Hey Folks, So I did the FIRST interview with Commissioner Barnett here just a bit ago. 

We decided to do one thing at a time , one point at a time so the Commissioner and I picked the Library Topic to tackle first. 

This is one of the recall reasons by Jim Goodwin on www.restorejoco.com 4) Voted in January 2025 to prematurely cancel the lease agreement of the GP Library District branch and in March 2025 paid for Facebook advertising to spread an article that was advocating against the Library’s interests. 

There will be MORE INTERVIEWS coming up this week or next week I would like to cover all the points on this recall with both Commissioners if possible.

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I’ve sent a request to all three Josephine County Commissioners to meet with me individually and go through each point listed in the recall petitions filed by Jim Goodwin. 

My goal is to give the people of Josephine County the chance to hear directly from the Commissioners, in their own words, about each claim that’s been made. 

For safety and fairness, these meetings will be held one-on-one at an undisclosed location. Regardless of whether you’re Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, Green or NAV, you’ll be able to tune in and hear their side of the story straight from them, not from supporters at volunteer tables or social media commentary by myself and others. 

Though I can't promise that the Commissioners will accept my invitation hopefully this happens with at least ONE who is being recalled.