MORROW COUNTY — Residents in Morrow County have a decision to make: whether to put a recall for any — or all — of their commissioners on the ballot.

Irrigon resident Stuart Dick on Thursday, Feb. 15, filed three prospective petitions for recall with county Elections Clerk Bobbi Childers.

Dick is one of the leaders of Morrow County Citizens for Liberty and Justice, a public-facing group that hosted town halls around the county to discuss the commissioners and their decisions.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office website details the process to recall public officials. For Morrow County, those in support of the recall will need to get 613 validated signatures from registered voters in the county within 90 days to find success on any one of their petitions.

If any of the petitions are successful, it would mark the county’s second recall in as many years.

The file requires a statement providing the reasons for recall. Dick listed the same five reasons on each filing.

Four of the issues focus on the commissioners’ handling or decisions in various situations, including the ongoing conflict with the county’s ambulance service area plan and the continued nitrate problem in the county.

Dick also noted residents’ frustration over the commissioners’ decision about the site of a new courthouse in Heppner and concerns about business tax abatements the believes are bad for residents.

Beyond the concrete issues, Dick claims the commissioners have lowered their workload while boosting that of the county administrator — especially as they are hiring an assistant administrator — which he believes is “unacceptable to Morrow County citizens.”

Previously, Commissioner David Sykes has said he disagrees with Dick’s reasoning for a recall. He has pointed to ethics complaints against him that were dismissed and said the commissioners have been as transparent as possible.