Josephine County Commissioner Chris Barnett submitted his resignation to the county Monday. He was one of two commissioners who faced a recall petition by voters in 2025.

While Board Chair Andreas Blech stepped down in December before the recall vote, Barnett said he wanted to hear from voters.

In the unofficial results, 62% of voters chose to recall Barnett.

In a statement, Barnett said personal safety issues are the only reason he’s resigning.

“Despite multiple notifications, requests for documentation and escalation through appropriate administrative channels, I have concluded that the County is unable or unwilling to provide reasonable protections necessary to ensure a safe working environment for employees, elected officials, and the public,” he said in the statement.

He doesn’t go into specifics, other than mentioning intimidation and disruptive conduct. Barnett and his colleague Ron Smith verbally sparred during public meetings because Smith refused to participate in the appointment process for the vacant seat.

Barnett’s resignation leaves the county commission without a quorum.

The county’s other elected officials, including the sheriff, assessor, clerk, surveyor, treasurer and legal counsel, will meet to fill at least one vacancy.

County clerk Rhiannon Henkels has previously said that the temporary board will not meet until the election is certified, which is expected to happen between Jan. 28 and Feb. 2.

Roman Battaglia is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/27/josephine-county-commissioner-resigns-before-recall-certified/