Local political candidates recently gathered in Eagle Point, Oregon to discuss the issues that they would be prioritizing if they are elected and one of the key points targeted during the occasion was addiction treatment.
The meeting, which took place during the past week, was prompted by the fact that the local elections are just one week away. The candidates running for office positions in Jackson County, where Eagle Point is located, were joined by dozens of members of the community to address the key issues of their campaigns.
The discussion was open to the public and hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Eagle County at the Ashpole Center in Eagle Point. In attendance at the event were a number of officials such as Nathan Sickler, who currently serves as the Jackson County Sheriff and is looking to be reelected.
Sickler, who was appointed as the Sheriff in January of 2017 and is running against a former law enforcement officer for the position, explained that there are many issues that need to be addressed in the Jackson County area, in particular issues that are associated with the different levels of the criminal justice system.
He mentioned that some of his top priorities are to increase the resources that can assist the local prison populations who have been diagnosed with mental illness as well as expanding the addiction treatment available to inmates.
Sickler has previously worked as a drug recognition evaluator and emphasized that Jackson County officials have been making efforts to improve the lives of the local community members who struggle with substance use disorders as well as mental health conditions.
Medication-assisted treatment was another topic highlighted by the County Sheriff. He stated that his office has been working with the county officials to expand medication-assisted treatment programs in addition to collaborating with the community to improve the other services that are available for the people who have substance use disorders.
Sickler mentioned that one of his professional priorities is to establish a new jail that would feature the adequate technology and proper design to streamline operations while also allowing for more mental health and addiction treatment programs to be available for those in need. More services for the people who are incarcerated and have substance use disorders would be a major step toward lowering recidivism in the region, he stated.
Rick Dyer, who was elected to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners in November of 2014, was also present at the event discussing his coming bids for re-election.
Some of the areas that Dyer said he will be prioritizing if he is reelected include economic development, fiscally responsible decision making, capital infrastructure, and measures to assist the local homeless populations.
In addition to determining who will be the next commissioner and the sheriff of Jackson County, the upcoming Election Day will also define who will be the next mayor of Eagle Point and the city council.
Election Day is going to be taking place in just one week, on November 6.
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad
Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com
