BEND, OR -- Oregon native Patti Adair is running for Deschutes County Commissioner Position 3 against incumbent, Tammy Baney.
An accountant who held her CPA for nearly 20 years, Adair is running on a platform of fiscal restraint. In fact, it was hearing about Deschutes County's budget at the County College Class that inspired Adair to run. "Someone came up to me and said, 'You cannot imagine the amount of money that is spent in this county and no one is paying attention.' I am a numbers person. And I've raised a couple million dollars for charity, and I work in accounting, and so I just really started paying attention."
She says keeping track of the bottom line shows respect for taxpayers. "I actually passed the CPA exam when you couldn't use a calculator and so I have always been working in business, working in charity, where you know, the bottom line is critical, especially when you're raising money for a school, a hospital, you have to watch each dollar that you spend, and I always pride myself on doing the very, very best job possible."
Adair will run in the primary this May against incumbent, Tammy Baney, and contends that, given her record in her three terms as commissioner, Baney represents a wonderful argument for 'term limits.' She objects to how much time Baney spends in Salem, away from what should be her focus. "I am in Deschutes County, this is where I want to be, you know, this is my home. I'm always trying to talk to people and find out what are they worried about, what are they happy with."
Adair, who's running as a fiscally conservative, budget-minded candidate, says the fact that county employees got a raise last year while everyone else is still struggling is unfortunate and an example of what she thinks is Baney's disconnect with her constituents.
In addition to being Chair of the Deschutes County Republican Party, and her charity work and leadership roles in schools, Adair was also President Donald Trump's Eastern Oregon Political Director for his 2016 campaign.
