Shafer sends another missive to the governor
By Terry Murry on Monday, May 17th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer has fired off a letter to Gov. Kate Brown after she sent $20 million to 15 Oregon counties that were in the COVID-19 extreme risk category for seven days. He wants to know where Umatilla County’s money is.
“Umatilla County was in lockdown longer than any other county in the state,” he said. “In fact, last summer we were in baseline status for 21 days.”
Shafer said Brown has been asked at least twice why there has been no money to help Umatilla County businesses and said that both times she has evaded the question. He also expects his letter to be met with Brown’s usual response — silence.
“No other county in the state was in the situation that Umatilla County was, and our businesses got zero for that,” he said.
Shafer urges people to contact Brown’s office with that question. Her mailing address is 900 Court St. NE, Suite 254, Salem, OR 97301-4047. The telephone number is 503-378-4582. Concerns may also be sent to her at https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/contact.aspx.
