Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 5, 2020 -- THREE
TREASURER
-Continued from PAGE ONE
how much resources the
county wants to put toward
a position to properly ana-
lyze the salary.
The budget commit-
tee also discussed if the
position is made part time
would it be a good move for
the county? “If it’s changed
to part time will we get the
quality of person to run for
the office?” LaRue asked.
She said now that Gutierrez
has resigned, she was con-
cerned with the quality of
the person who runs. “It’s
up to the voters now.”
After listening to ar-
guments from the commis-
sioners that the job may
be part time, LaRue also
said as a budget committee
member it was not her job
to “oversee the treasurer’s
position. Who is saying it
is not full time?” she asked.
LaRue also said this was
the first time she had heard
about the salary review and
she felt blindsided by the
special meeting and thought
this was not a good way to
go about it.
Budget committee
member Kim Cutsforth said
the commissioners have a
fiduciary duty to the county
to look at salaries of elected
officials and that includes
making comparisons with
other counties. “We have
a high paid treasurer in
Morrow County,” she said,
adding that any action to
adjust the salary should be
done before an election so
those running would know
what the salary was going
to be.
The commissioners
wanted the budget com-
mittee to decide whether
to leave the treasurer’s sal-
ary the same for a current
$127,152 per year salary
and benefit package, do a
25 percent cut to $101,609,
a 50 percent reduction to
$76,066 or a 75 percent
reduction to $50,524 yearly
pay and benefit package.
Questions also arose
about who instigated the
salary cut proposal. Mem-
bers of the public at the
meeting asked the com-
missioners who started the
process. Gutierrez’s broth-
er-in-law Craig Gutierrez
was in the audience and said
it appeared the commission
and budget committee were
not disputing her job per-
formance. “She does her
job very well.” But he did
want to know who started
the review process. “How
did this start? Someone
had to sit around a table
and say, ‘Let’s review the
treasurer’.” “Why are we
not reviewing everyone’s
salary?” he asked. Com-
missioner Doherty said he
did not know who started
it. “I’m not certain when the
question was first asked.” It
might have been a citizen,
or it might have been an
elected person,” he an-
swered. LaRue also asked
why the treasurer was sin-
gled out. “We haven’t been
given an answer to that
question,” she said.
Commissioner Lindsay
said the treasurer’s salary
was being reviewed be-
cause even though she had
filed for reelection, Lindsay
had heard Gutierrez was re-
tiring. “The knowledge was
out that the current treasurer
was retiring, and we were
looking at the position not
the person,” Lindsay said.
Gutierrez told the Ga-
zette-Times later that al-
though she had asked for
some retirement informa-
tion as far back as 2018
no one had asked her “in
an official manner” if she
was going to retire. “If they
thought I was going to re-
tire, the Board of Commis-
sioners had all of last year
to take this subject to the
compensation committee
and the budget hearing. It
was only after I decided
to file that the hour/wage
discussion started. It could
have been over and done
with before the filing season
started in September.”
County Clerk Bobbi
Childers took the opportu-
nity to discuss an elected
person’s role in county gov-
ernment. “We are elected.
We are not employees. I
am elected to represent the
people in the county,” she
told the commissioners.
“You don’t take a hit when
I do something wrong.” She
asked the commissioners if
they were policy makers or
“Are you administrators?”
Commissioner Russell
said there was an “indi-
cation” the treasurer was
going to retire, and he too
thought this was a good
time to analyze the trea-
surer position. He said the
compensation committee
was looking to us to deter-
mine if it was a full time
or a part time position and
they searched other coun-
ties to find comparable
job positions and duties of
treasurers.
In the end, the budget
committee voted three to
two that there would be
no action and the treasurer
salary review would go
through the normal process
of first to the compensation
committee, then to the bud-
get committee as part of the
entire budget and then on to
the commissioners for final
adoption. LaRue, Russell
and Doherty voted in favor,
and Lindsay and Cutsforth
voted against. The third
budget committee member
Jeff Wenholtz was not in
attendance.
Legislative video
David Warren Lacey conferences
scheduled
Obituaries
Community lunch menu
David Warren Lacey, daughters, November Slud-
64, passed away peacefully er (Demian) and Michelle
in Bend, OR, on Tuesday, Weiker (Chad), grandson
January 28 after a two-plus Jared Wallis-Weiker, sev-
year fight against multi- eral loved nieces, nephews,
ple myeloma. He was sur- cousins and great nieces,
rounded by his wife,
nephews and cous-
two daughters and
ins, and his extended
grandson. His family
family Doug John-
stated David was an
son and cousin Frank
amazingly strong,
Lamoreaux.
ornery and beautiful
He was preced-
soul who was full David Warren ed in death by his
of love. He was a Lacey
parents.
kind-hearted, caring,
David was a
giving, gentle, patient and very hard-working and
honorable husband, father, dedicated employee. He
grandfather, brother, uncle was a skilled mechanic for
and friend. A true faithful any type of vehicle, farm
fearless fighter.
equipment, even go-carts
David was born in Hep- and big rigs. He was an
pner on July 30, 1955 to experienced semi truck and
Walt and Billie Fay Lacey race car driver and knew
(Keeney) of Condon. David his vehicles inside and out.
graduated from Condon He was an expert rancher
High School in 1973. He and equipment operator.
moved to The Dalles, OR He also had a creative side
in 1977 where he had two and loved to build, weld,
daughters with his first construct and was always
wife, Tamara Harrison, in making gifts for his family
1977 and 1980.
and friends with this talent.
David had an adventur- This man could fix or build
ous life and lived in many anything.
places. He resided in Ma-
He worked at various
dras and Gresham, OR, then jobs in his lifetime. David
he moved to Copeland, KS, worked for his dad, Walt
where he was able to travel as a young man and at
all over the central Midwest a gas station in Condon.
while working. He moved He was a manager at Nel-
to Conrad, MT, where he son/M & M Tire Shop and
met Merilyn Hughes in the Muffler Factory in The
2004, and they married Dalles. He also worked for
in 2009. They moved to Tyler Trucking/Wheaties,
Antelope, OR, lived there Zomers and Wells Ranch,
for eight years. When he re- doing many other interest-
tired, they moved to their fi- ing projects along the way.
nal residence in Fossil, OR.
A celebration of life
He loved baseball, bas- will be at the Man Cave
ketball, football, coaching, February 29, at 1 p.m.,
fishing, hunting, camping, 48643 Old Hwy Road in
cars, dogs, working with Fossil. This will be a pot-
cattle, writing and draw- luck and ice cream social.
ing. Spending time with The date and time are still
his family was his absolute pending for the memori-
favorite. His family said al (in Fossil) and grave-
David was a sweetheart side service (in Condon).
and gentle soul. He loved Please contact Michelle
without limits, had a con- Weiker for updates on both.
tagious laugh and adored 360-521-9686 or michelle-
his family. David enjoyed weiker98@gmail.com or on
being a jokester and was Facebook.
always focused on making
In lieu of flowers, con-
those around him laugh and tributions to the family are
feel loved. He had a strong greatly appreciated.
faith in the Lord and found
“I am leaving you with
deep spiritual connection a gift—peace of mind and
when out in nature. He and heart. And the peace I give
his wife Merilyn have felt is a gift the world cannot
beyond blessed to have give. So don’t be troubled
found the love, support and or afraid.” John 14:27.
fellowship of their church
in Fossil.
Survivors include his
five sisters and one brother:
Marthela Hawkins (Phil-
lip), April Wilson (Don-
ny), Dorothy Frost (Art),
Kathy Cutsforth (Curtis),
Loa Lacey (Mark), Scott
Lacey (Terra); his wife,
Merilyn Lacey and son,
First Friday Mass at St.
Matthew Cigarroa; two
Patrick’s Catholic Church
will be held Friday, Feb-
ruary 7 at 12:05 p.m. The
men’s First Friday meeting
has been cancelled for this
month.
United Methodist vol-
unteers will serve lunch on
Wednesday, February 12 at
St. Patrick’s Senior Center.
Lunch will be beef and
cheese enchiladas, corn,
tossed salad, pineapple and
The Morrow County
Clerk’s office has released
the following report of
marriage licenses:
January 28, 2020: -
Lauro Ybarra, 55, Irrigon,
and Blanca Ortiz Martinez,
51, Irrigon..
Jell-O.
Milk, coffee and tea is
served at each meal. Sug-
gested donation is $3.50
per meal. Menu is subject
to change.
First
Friday
Mass
changed
Marriage
Licenses
RATE INCREASE
Due to the rising costs of operation, the following
proposed rates will be
effective February 1, 2020
Local (in city limits)
Rural (outside city limits)
Local Business Dumpsters
Rural Dumpsters
$22.50
$25.00
$80.00
$80.00
We thank you for your understanding
and continued support
Miller & Sons Disposal Services, LLC
(541) 676-9613
Area Chambers of
Commerce are working
together during the 2020
Legislative session to keep
businesses informed on the
issues being discussed. The
weekly video conference
sessions will include Rep.
Greg Barreto, Rep. Greg
Smith and Senator Bill
Hansell.
The video conferences
will be held each Tuesday at
7 a.m. beginning February 4
and will continue through-
out the short session.
Locations for these
video conference meet-
ings will be: Boardman,
BMCC Workforce Train-
ing Center; Heppner, Mor-
row County Bartholomew
Building upper conference
room; Hermiston, Blue
Mtn. Comm. College - Kim
Puzey room (Rm. 134-135)
and Pendleton, Blue Mtn.
Community College - Pio-
neer Hall board room.
Contact your local
chamber office for addi-
tional information.
MC Chronicles
available online
The latest update to the
Morrow County Chronicles
index is available online
with a link at the Morrow
County Museum web site.
An alphabetized list of
names, historical events
and area sites are mentioned
in the Chronicles and are
available by a web search.
This yearly collection
of articles about historical
people, events and places
totals thirty-six issues as of
2019. After finding a name
of interest in the index, the
researcher can then go to
the pertinent issue(s) and
to the page(s) that the index
lists for that name.
Back issues of the
Chronicles are for sale at
the museum in Heppner.
Although the museum is
presently closed for the
winter, a phone call to a
541-676-9216 or 541-676-
5546 will get someone to
access those issues. The
libraries have issues that
can be used for research.
Lexington to begin
water chlorination
The town of Lexington
has completed the installa-
tion of the new chlorination
system for the town’s water
system. The system will be
charged with chlorine be-
ginning Monday, February
10. This will be an ongoing
treatment to input chlorine
into the water at all times.
For additional infor-
mation or questions about
the chlorine in the water
system, contact staff at the
town hall by stopping by
425 F Street or calling 541-
989-8515.
New Baby in Your Family? Engagement? Wedding?
We want to share your life events!
Stop in the Heppner Gazette office or email us with
details and photos.
All birth, engagement and wedding announcements are always free!
188 W Willow Street, Heppner, OR
editor@rapidserve.net
Valentine's Day
Dinner
Friday, , February 14th
Dinner 6:30pm
Prepared by Tanner & Wacy
Steak - Potatoes
Vegetable - Salad
Dessert
Music by Frank Carlson
(weather permitting)
7-11pm
Elks Members & Guests
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
G illiam and B isBee
O pen H Ouse
F eBruary 7
5:00 - 7:30
s pecial presentatiOn at 6:00