2023: Patti Adair Voted To Raise Her Own Salary By $14,000, Or 12.3%, Raising Her Compensation Above Both The Area Median Income And The Pay For Commissioners Of Neighboring Counties

May 2023: Adair Voted To Increase Her Own Salary By $14,000, Increasing Her Pay From $111,422 To $125,149 Annually

May 2023: Adair And Commissioner DeBone Raised Their Own Salaries By $14,000. “Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone approved a nearly $14,000 salary increase for themselves last month, outvoting the commission's third member, Phil Chang, who said he will refuse to accept the raise. The decision, which brought commissioners' pay from $111,422 annually to $125,149, was a part of budget deliberations during the last week of May. In the same meeting, commissioners also raised property taxes for rural county residents by 6 cents to roughly $1.28 per $1,000 in assessed property value.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

• May 2023: In The Same Meeting, Adair And DeBone Voted To Raise Property Taxes For Rural Residents By Six Cents Per $1,000 In Assessed Property Value. Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone approved a nearly $14,000 salary increase for themselves last month, outvoting the commission's third member, Phil Chang, who said he will refuse to accept the raise. The decision, which brought commissioners' pay budget from $111,422 annually to $125,149, was a part of deliberations during the last week of May. In the same meeting, commissioners also raised property taxes for rural county residents by 6 cents to roughly $1.28 per $1,000 in assessed property value.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

May 2023: The Raise Brought The Commissioners Pay From $111,422 To $125,149 Annually. Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone approved a nearly $14,000 salary increase for themselves last month, outvoting the commission's third member, Phil Chang, who said he will refuse to accept the raise. The decision, which brought commissioners' pay from $111,422 annually to $125,149, was a part of budget deliberations during the last week of May. In the same meeting, commissioners also raised property taxes for rural county residents by 6 cents to roughly $1.28 per $1,000 in assessed property value.” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]

The Raise Brought County Commissioner Pay Significantly Above Both The Area Median Income And Pay For Commissioners In Other Local Counties

June 2023: Area Median Income For Bend And Redmond Was About $104,000 A Year. “Area median income for Bend and Redmond is about $104,000 a year. There just aren't that many homes on the market for people in that income range. The new Housing Trust Fund, championed by former state Rep. Cheri Helt, could be the start of something special.” [Editorial Board, Bend Bulletin, 6/28/23]

March 2025: Deschutes County Commissioners Made Between $5,000 And $20,000 More Than Commissioners In Neighboring Counties. “The two new commissioners would not be elected until 2026, which means the lower salaries would apply for a full year among the three-member board before two more commissioners take office. But compensation committee members said the salaries of the five-member board should be determined this year so people know what the pay for the position is before deciding to run or not. Deschutes County Commissioners make a base salary of $135,364. According to data compiled by a human resources consultant, that's between $5,000 and $20,000 more than county commissioners in Clackamas, Lane and Marion counties all of which are more populous than Deschutes.” [Redmond Spokesman, 3/18/25]

• March 2025: Deschutes County Commissioners Made A Base Salary Of $135,364. “The two new commissioners would not be elected until 2026, which means the lower salaries would apply for a full year among the three-member board before two more commissioners take office. But compensation committee members said the salaries of the five-member board should be determined this year so people know what the pay for the position is before deciding to run or not. Deschutes County Commissioners make a base salary of $135,364. According to data compiled by a human resources consultant, that's between $5,000 and $20,000 more than county commissioners in Clackamas, Lane and Marion counties all of which are more populous than Deschutes.” [Redmond Spokesman, 3/18/25]

Adair Said She Thought The Salary Increase Was Fair Because She Worked “Really Hard” At Her Job

Adair Said She Thought The Salary Increase Was Fair Because She Worked “Really Hard” At Her Job. “Deschutes County Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone approved a nearly $14,000 salary increase for themselves last month, outvoting the commission's third member, Phil Chang, who said he will refuse to accept the raise. The decision, which brought commissioners' pay from $111,422 annually to $125,149, was a part of budget deliberations during the last week of May. In the same meeting, commissioners also raised property taxes for rural county residents by 6 cents to roughly $1.28 per $1,000 in assessed property value. Adair thought both increases were fair. High interest rates and dwindling revenues in departments across the county couldn't be ignored, which is why the tax increase was necessary, she told The Bulletin. As for the raise, it was a recommendation from the county's elected official compensation committee. ‘I definitely didn't do the job for the money,’ Adair said. ‘I work really hard at my job.’” [Bend Bulletin, 6/7/23]