September Newsletter
Dear friends and neighbors,
In just a couple of months, we will have the opportunity to vote in county elections. I urge you to participate in our democracy by voting.
My office issued a performance audit of the Elections Division in February 2026, and we noted that division staff have a high level of commitment and dedication to carrying out elections with integrity. I believe you can trust the county’s elections processes.
The voter registration deadline is October 13. You can register to vote or update your registration through the County Elections’ website.
The November election will be the first one where county voters use ranked choice voting (RCV). The county has put together a lot of information about RCV, including how to fill out a ranked choice ballot and how ranked choice ballots are counted.
This video also has a lot of good information:
The right to vote is under attack in many communities in our nation. It is a right that so many fought and died for. It is a right that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and women worked especially hard to get. Your vote is powerful; please make sure you are registered to vote by October 13.
Thank you,
Jennifer
Memorandum to the Board of County Commissioners on concerns about the Preschool for All seat allocation process and contracting structure
Recently my office investigated an allegation to the Good Government Hotline regarding Preschool for All. We did not substantiate the allegation. But during our investigation we identified some concerns that I informed the Board of County Commissioners about to support county oversight and management of Preschool for All.
We noted that Preschool for All pays for all seats allocated to each site, whether the seat is open (unfilled by a student) or enrolled (filled by a student). According to data shared by the Preschool and Early Learning Division, there were 1,250 open seats in the 2026-2027 program year, as of August 13, 2026. At the same time that Preschool for All is experiencing many open seats, we have heard from families who have been unable to get a seat at one of their preferred preschools.
There is a potential mismatch of resources in terms of seat allocations to preschools. Aligning the allocation policies and processes to ensure allocations reflect demand could help ensure that fewer Preschool for All seats go unfilled.
We recommended that the Preschool and Early Learning Division do the following to help address the issues we’ve noted:
- Prior to the allocation process for the 2027-2028 program year, strengthen allocation policies and processes to ensure that seat allocations are data-driven and based on demand.
- Prior to the family application process for the 2027-2028 program year, expand the existing process for connecting with waitlisted families to proactively connect families on the waitlist with open seats.
Community engagement
On September 13, Performance Auditor Jeremy Johnson, County Ombudsperson Cheryl Taylor, and I represented the office at the Lents Farmers Market. As the days are getting colder and rainier (and generally feeling more like an Oregon fall), we made Lents the final stop on our farmers market tour this year. It was a great tour, with stops at the Hillsdale, People’s, King, and Montavilla markets. At each stop, we had a great time learning from community members about their concerns and sharing information about how our office supports accountability.