Former Clackamas County Sheriff seeks to unseat chair Tootie Smith
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Former Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts wants to be the next Clackamas County chair. He's running against current chair Tootie Smith, who's up for re-election.
Born and raised in Clackamas County, Roberts served as sheriff for 16 years, retiring in 2020.
Now, he's trying to unseat an outspoken and powerful chair in Smith.
On this week's Eye on Northwest Politics, Roberts discloses the reason for his candidacy, his response to Smith's reaction to his decision to run.
Additionally, since Clackamas County is looking at budget cuts and building a new courthouse at the same time, Roberts notes how he would handle the pressure put on the total county budget of $1.7 billion.
Like the entire tri-county area, Clackamas County has its issues with homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health services. So Roberts voices what he would do to mitigate these issues should he be elected.
Furthermore, he notes his position on the prospect of tolling on I-205 as well as what the county should be doing when it comes to wildfire preparedness.
Watch the full interview in the video above.