AOC President John Shafer weighs in on Union County’s fairground wastewater funding bill

By on Friday, April 4th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – As the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session continues, support is seemingly mounting for a bill that could make a crucial infrastructure improvement a reality for the Union County Fairgrounds. Sponsored by Representative Bobby Leavy, House Bill 2527, Relating to Union County Fairgrounds, would, if approved, provide 2.5 million dollars toward the Union County Fairgrounds wastewater project.

For those unfamiliar, Union County Commissioners have been seeking state funding for several years to pay for the long-planned water and sewer line expansion of the Union County Fairgrounds. The project, if completed, would connect the fairgrounds to the City of La Grande’s water and septic system and construct new indoor restroom facilities at the Fairgrounds, among other improvements. Due to the costs associated with running the infrastructure over the Grande Ronde River, state funding is needed for the project to move forward. Two prior bills, 2635 and 5202, both failed.

Since its introduction in the 2025 legislative session, the bill has continued to receive nearly unanimous public support, with, as of the time of writing, 58 written public testimonies in support. More recently, Umatilla County Commissioner and President of the Association of Oregon Counties John Shafer weighed in on the bill during Elkhorn Media Group’s KUMA Coffee Hour Podcast. In a discussion on April 3 about the legislative session, Shaffer gave his thoughts on the necessity of the bill and the less-than-ideal condition of the plumbing at the Union County Fairgrounds:

The bill recently had a work session on April 2 and, as of the time of writing, is in the House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade, with no additional readings or sessions scheduled. According to Union County Commissioner Matt Scarfo, the 2025 session represents the furthest any of the Union County Fairgrounds funding bills have gone during the legislative sessions.

For more information about the bill, see its Oregon Legislative Information page here.