_{Thumbnail photo: Brad Alcorn.}

Curry County Commissioner Brad Alcorn announced his resignation on Wednesday, telling his colleagues that he had “personal things” he needed to focus on requiring him to be gone for extended periods of time.

“I know that not being present here every day would certainly not be fair to the people of this county, but it also would not be fair to either of you,” he told commissioners Jay Trost and Patrick Hollinger at the end of the Board’s regular business meeting. “You guys show up every day. You work hard trying to solve this county’s problems, and you need someone, a third person, that’s going to be doing the same.”

Alcorn said his resignation will be effective May 1 and the Board’s April 15 meeting will be the last time he serves as its chair.

Following Alcorn’s announcement, Trost called upon the county’s operations director, Ted Fitzgerald, to start finding someone that can fill his colleague’s soon-to-be vacant seat. Trost also asked Fitzgerald to find out how much of a say Alcorn has in choosing his replacement

Trost said he hoped that if Curry County put out a notice on Thursday announcing the vacant seat, those who are interested in the position could come before the Board on April 15.

“Commissioner Alcorn can give his opinion on who he believes should be his replacement,” Trost said. “I don’t know that he can vote.”

Fitzgerald said he would release a notice on Thursday, but wanted to check with the Association of Oregon Counties to find out what the normal procedure would be.

Trost said he hoped the Board could appoint a new commissioner by May 2 to avoid a lapse in leadership as Curry County finalizes its 2025-26 budget.

Alcorn said he was hoping to make the transition as seamless as possible, but he said he wasn’t sure about what his level of involvement can be in finding his replacement.

Pointing out that the Board of Commissioners can interview potential replacements on April 15, Trost said he felt that it would be important to get Alcorn’s feedback.

“You can have an opinion,” Trost said. “And I will tell you personally, the opinion that you have as your own replacement, representing the voters who voted you in, is going to weigh more heavily with me than probably a lot of my own opinions would.”

Alcorn, a retired police officer from Fresno, was elected to the Board of Commissioners in May 2022. Before that he was a Brookings City Council member and was on the Curry County Budget Committee.