Salem straddles two counties, not unusual in Oregon which has 13 towns/cities collaborating with two or more counties to provide services for its residents. Most of Salem receives services from Marion County. Cross the Willamette River into West Salem to find Polk County providing services for public safety, transportation, and public health. Polk County, the City of Salem, and Marion County work collaboratively on many issues which impact our daily lives.
Jeremy Gordon, Polk County Commissioner, will discuss the changing landscape of providing crucial services to its citizens while funding sources here today may be gone tomorrow. What does it mean for us at the county level? How is Polk County working with of the city Salem and Marion County to provide services? Unlike city leadership, county commissioners around the state have managerial and administrative roles. They get paid to do their jobs. As Commissioner Gordon said in recent conversation, "County Commissioners are probably the most responsive to their constituents because they are at their desks every day working directly on the issues of the day.
Marion County was invited to participate in this program as it was conceived, but busy schedules prevented their participation.
Commissioner Jeremy Gordon has served on the Polk County Board of Commissioners since his appointment in 2021 and election to a four‑year term in 2022. Before joining the Board, he was Mayor of Falls City from 2017 to 2021, leading several community projects and local initiatives. His professional background includes higher education administration, finance, and music performance, shaping his belief that meaningful work depends on collaboration and a positive vision for the future.
Gordon lives in Falls City with his wife, their son, and two dogs. Raised in a small Wisconsin town with five siblings, he spent summers fishing at his grandparents’ cottage and learned the values of hard work and good humor from his father, a middle school art teacher and small business owner. He remains committed to community service and hopes to instill that ethic in his son.
