Voters will fill an open seat on the Benton County Board of Commissioners in the Nov. 3 general election with a choice between Pacific Green Party candidate James Dashiell and Democrat John Wilson.
The Position 1 seat opened when Wilson defeated incumbent Pat Malone in the May Democratic primary. No Republican filed, and Dashiell entered the race Aug. 25, the final day of the filing period.
Dashiell, 54, is a Corvallis graphic artist with a bachelor’s degree in production design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has no prior experience in government.
Wilson, 69, of Adair Village, retired after more than 25 years in social work, including time as a child welfare case manager and leading disaster recovery programs on the Gulf Coast. He has been Adair Village’s Ward 4 city councilor since 2025 and a Benton County planning commissioner since 2023, and he held council and planning roles in Indiana.
The Philomath News asked both candidates the same five questions and limited each answer to 100 words with ballots going out to voters this week. Each candidate had a strict 100-word limit per question and each was invited to submit a photo. Answers are presented in alphabetical order by candidate.
Q1. What experience or perspective would you bring to the Board of Commissioners that voters should consider?
Dashiell: I’m not a lawyer or a student of political science. I have some experience on volunteer committees, but my perspective is that of a Green Party candidate. I will always consider sustainability and conservationism when it comes to our air, water and environmental preparedness. Social justice is also very important to me. People’s constitutional rights to due process are eroding, and I hope Benton County will resist this disregard for law and human rights. I will prioritize clear communication on county policies and encourage residents to join our advisory boards and committees, giving them the respect and input they deserve.
Wilson: I spent more than 25 years as a social worker and child welfare case manager and led disaster recovery programs on the Gulf Coast. That is direct preparation for core county work: health, human services and managing public money from many funding sources under pressure. I also know local government here. On the Adair Village City Council, I helped secure a $4 million state wastewater grant. As a planning commissioner, I voted on the evidence to deny the landfill expansion. I live in one of the county’s smallest cities, so I see Benton County from outside Corvallis.
Q2. Commissioners are elected countywide, but much of the county’s population is in Corvallis. How would you make sure Philomath and other smaller communities and rural areas are represented in county decisions?
Dashiell: As commissioner, I would reach out to the staff and representatives of Philomath and other surrounding communities to learn their concerns about Benton County policy. Regular town hall meetings would be scheduled in the evenings so more residents can participate in a forum for dialogue on these concerns.
Wilson: I live in Adair Village, and I’ve watched small communities get treated as an afterthought in conversations Corvallis dominates. Representation takes structure, so here is mine: regular meetings with Philomath’s city leadership, town halls held around the county and plain-language notice of major proposals early enough that public comment can change the outcome. I’ll also make sure smaller cities and rural areas aren’t left behind on state grants and have a real voice in budget and comprehensive plan discussions. Rural residents should be in the conversation before decisions are made, not after.
Q3. What is your position on the future of Coffin Butte Landfill, including any expansion, and what should the county’s long-term plan for solid waste look like?
Dashiell: We should reduce waste by using less plastic packaging, recycling, composting and targeting construction waste. But even if Benton County cut its waste 60% in five years, Coffin Butte would still take millions of tons per year, mostly from other West Coast municipalities. The site’s high rainfall and proximity to the water table create millions of gallons of runoff, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA are investigating methane leaks. After closure, Republic Services must maintain the site for about 30 years; then it’s our responsibility. We should plan the phaseout now and explore better-suited sites in Eastern Oregon.
Wilson: As a planning commissioner, I voted to deny the expansion because the application did not meet the county’s criteria. The Board of Commissioners reached the same conclusion in March, and that decision is on appeal at the Land Use Board of Appeals. Any future application should be judged the same way, on the evidence. The landfill has a limited life, and the county needs a plan for what comes next. That means a regional transfer station and a waste reduction strategy, developed with neighboring counties and started now. Siting and permitting take years.
Q4. County governments face tight budgets and uncertain state and federal funding. What would your top budget priorities be, and where would you look for savings if cuts were needed?
Dashiell: County funding has fluctuated over the past four years. COVID relief and stimulus funding flowed in from 2022 to 2024, but current federal policy has reversed course, requiring adjustments soon. As commissioner, I would work closely with county staff and residents as we navigate these budget realities. Health Services is a major concern, making up almost a third of our budgeted employees. With federal cuts, our challenge is managing local funding resources as well as possible. Passing health care for all legislation at the state level would help maintain our current level of care and make state funding more predictable.
Wilson: I’d start with funding. I’ve managed grants and public funds, and the county can pursue more state grants and partnerships. That matters because part of this budget was covered with funds that won’t be there next time, and federal Medicaid changes are likely to reduce revenue at our health clinics. My priorities are services people need on their worst day: mental health care, homeless services and public safety. If we need savings, I’d look first at what can wait, like unfilled positions outside of front-line services, keep programs that bring in matching dollars and make those choices in public.
Q5. What role should the county play in addressing mental health, addiction and homelessness, including through the Crisis Center?
Dashiell: Benton County’s strategy on mental health, addiction and homelessness is sound. Health Services Director April Holland and her staff are doing their best for those in need. The U.S. and Oregon are in a health care crisis. As a Green Party candidate, I support expanding the Oregon Health Plan into a comprehensive health care for all strategy, helping the underinsured and uninsured. Homelessness can only be solved by reforming the mental health care system. The Benton County Crisis Center is a good step, but I’d like to see it open nights and weekends for people who work weekdays.
Wilson: The county is the local mental health authority, so this is core county work. As a retired social worker, I’d focus on three things. First, finish what we started: The Crisis Center was built for round-the-clock walk-in care, and it needs staffing and stable funding to deliver it. Second, bring mobile crisis response and addiction treatment to people where they live, including Philomath, Adair, Monroe and Alsea. Third, treat homelessness as a housing problem as well as a health problem, working with cities and nonprofits, not duplicating them. Crisis care only works if people have somewhere to go next.
