Monty Kurtz

My name is Monty Kurtz and I’ve lived here in Powell Butte with my wife since 2016.

Having grown up in Southern Oregon in and around ranching until my mid-twenties, team penning, rounding up cattle in the mountains and fixing things, I have a fair understanding of the difficulties as well as the amazing opportunies that go with living in a rural area.

My parents taught me about hard work, civic duty and volunteering. The positive impact those three things have on my life are immeasurable.

Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world, work with teams big and small, deliver projects on time and on budget. A successful career in construction project management and manufacturing program management has led to customers and previous employers contnuing to ask for my help with problem solving.

I bring a wealth of knowledge, clear communication, a strong desire to serve our community and I’m always looking for learning opportunities. Over the last two years while running my local small business I’ve also attended the GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association). I learned a lot at these events and hope to bring some of what I have learned to our community so we can all benefit from that education.

I’ve attended work and court sessions quite often over the last two and half years, I’ve seen some things the court does well and some things that need improvement. What I’ll bring to this position is improved communication, active community engagement and long-term planning.

We have two of the largest and most sophisticated companies in the world here. We are working on cutting-edge renewable energy solutions, and a host of environmental stewardship projects to balance the needs of the economy with the environment. We also must accept that we will continue to grow.

How we manage that growth will determine how we keep Crook County values for future generations.

We must continue to have an environment that good businesses and job creators want to invest in. All these opportunities require a cohesive county government leadership with a conservative fiscal path.

The first step is hiring a qualified, experienced county administrator who can bring professional guidance and team leadership to the ever-growing complexities of the business of the county. The county court oversees this person and I believe the county judge position should take a step down in pay to help bridge the cost gap until we can get our form of governance balanced.

If elected, I will reduce the county judge’s compensation package or donate the difference between the judge and the commissioners back to the county to help offset the cost of the administrator. At the earliest convenience, we must address the conflict and understanding of our form of governance. I believe a board of commissioners is the only path forward.

I vow to tell the truth, acknowledge mistakes and work so our county government is thriving.

Please accept this as my notice that I am willing to serve our community running for county judge.