Dear Editor,
As the owner of Cottage Grove Garbage Service for over 50 years, I’ve seen administrators and commissioners come and go. I’ve seen policy shifts that worked and many that didn’t. But what I am witnessing right now from Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky is something entirely different – and frankly, it’s a disservice to the taxpayers.
Earlier this week on KNND, Steve was in full campaign mode, seemingly more interested in saving Commissioner Heather Buch’s political career than in providing honest facts to the public. He used his airtime to push a narrative about waste management issues that can only be described as misinformation.
For decades, the Waste Management Department was a source of pride for this county. It was the only department that consistently operated in the black. We had a system that worked because of strong partnerships and fiscal responsibility. However, under the leadership of Steve and Commissioner Buch, those bridges have been burned.
Their approach has alienated long-standing partners, and as a result, the county has watched millions of dollars vanish.
The root of this crisis isn’t a mystery. The financial bleeding stems back to the massive rate increases forced upon our residents to fund the CleanLane boondoggle. Instead of listening to the experts and the people who have been in this industry for half a century, they doubled down on a project that has become a sinkhole for public funds.
After 50 years of serving this community, it breaks my heart to see a once-thriving department dismantled by poor management and political posturing.
The residents of Lane County deserve transparency, not a taxpayer-funded campaign speech.
Garland Burback, owner,
Cottage Grove
Garbage Service
