On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) voted 2-1 to put the proposed Commissioner District Map before voters in the Nov. 3 general election. Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted “Yes” and Commissioner Chair Phil Chang voted “No.”
If voters approve the proposal through the ballot measure process, the map would set district boundaries for a five-member board, starting in 2028.
Background
In November 2024 election, voters approved Measure 9-173 to expand the BOCC from three to five members.
Following the election, a majority of the Board voted to appoint a seven-member District Map Advisory Committee (DMAC) to draft a commissioner district map. DeBone and Adair appointed two committee members each and Chang appointed three.
The DMAC held weekly work sessions starting in early September to draft a map with approximately equal populations in each district.
Over 11 weeks, committee members reviewed several draft maps using Board-approved guidelines, Deschutes County voter registration data, 2020 census data, race and ethnicity data and building permit trends since 2022. On Nov. 12, 2025, the committee voted 4-3 to recommend Map C for the Board’s consideration.
After reviewing the DMAC recommendations, the BOCC scheduled two public hearings to give the public a chance to comment on the proposed map. The hearings were held Jan. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Jan. 21 during the regularly scheduled board meeting. After the Jan. 21 hearing, the Board discussed next steps. A majority of the Board supported continuing the discussion at a later date.
The BOCC’s Feb. 4 decision allows voters to approve or reject the district map in the Nov. 3 general election. If voters approve it, the map will implement district boundaries for the five county commissioner positions beginning in January 2028.
For more information about the proposed district map and the DMAC process, visit deschutes.org/dmac.
