By Pendletonian Times
Incumbent Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley, 52, responded to an email request for comment after not filing information for inclusion in the Voter’s Pamphlet with a prepared statement:
“I have served as a Reserve Deputy, School Resource Officer, Patrol Deputy, Search and Rescue Coordinator, Undersheriff, Community Corrections Director and Elected Sheriff. I have served on the Mt. Vernon Rural and City Fire Departments since 1988, and have served on the John Day Rural Fire Board. I have accumulated over 2,200 hours of documented Law Enforcement training in various fields.
“Addiction is a major crisis that has touched most all lives in Grant County. I have worked diligently as … Sheriff to get the law changed in Oregon to recriminalize drug possession. As of September 1, possession of certain drugs became a crime again. This change will have a reverberating effect on drug related crimes.”
Scott Moore, 53, is currently a Public Works Foreman for the City of John Day and a former Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy and was a City of John Day Police Officer then a Sergeant before the department disbanded in 2021. He was educated at Clackamas Community College in the early 1990s and has no prior governmental experience. But according to the Voter’s Pamphlet for the Oregon General Election on November 5, he’s running for Grant County Sheriff with a commitment to community policing, clear communication and effective enforcement.
He says that community policing is his top priority and that law enforcement should actively engage with residents to ensure that they are approachable, transparent and trustworthy. Clear communication is essential for an effective Sheriff’s Office, according to Moore. He claims to be committed to providing transparent communication about issues that affect the citizens of Grant County while avoiding political entanglements and building strong relations with community partners.