There are moments when the actions of an elected official tell us more than campaign statements ever could. While reviewing public records surrounding the years-long effort to withdraw property from the Josephine Community Library District, I came across something I believe the people of Josephine County deserve to know.
Our sitting state representative, Dwayne Yunker, signed a petition initiated by Mike Pelfrey to withdraw property from the Josephine Community Library District.
The county’s Petition Signers Report for Petition W-2024-1, titled “Withdrawal from Josephine Community Library District,” lists “YUNKER, DWAYNE ROBERT” as an accepted signer and identifies his signature as valid.
His signature raises a larger question about trust and judgment: When an important community institution is challenged, what should we expect from the person elected to represent us?
What Rep. Yunker Signed
By the time this petition reached the public for signatures, there was already a documented history behind it. Pelfrey had previously sought to withdraw his property, that decision had resulted in a legal challenge, and his broader opposition to the library was part of the public record. When Pelfrey returned with a new petition, Rep. Yunker was not simply another resident weighing in, he was our sitting state representative, and he chose to add his name.
His signature cannot tell us everything Rep. Yunker believes about the library. It does establish something narrower but significant: he chose to support Pelfrey’s petition.
A Dispute with a Longer History
That history began in 2023, when Mike and Winnie Pelfrey first sought to withdraw their Grants Pass property from the Josephine Community Library District. On December 6 of that year, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners approved the request by a 2-1 vote. The decision raised questions about whether individual properties could withdraw from voter-created public service districts and what precedent that might establish for other districts in Josephine County.
The Josephine Community Library District challenged the decision through a Writ of Review. According to the library district’s official account of those proceedings, the county subsequently reversed its decision and restored the Pelfrey property to the district. The court case was then dismissed.
The dispute did not end there. Official library board records from April 2024 document correspondence from Mike Pelfrey that included a message stating that “he would like to shut down the library.” Later that year, library records documented additional correspondence from Pelfrey concerning dissolution of the library district.
Whatever one thinks about an individual property owner challenging a tax or district boundary, this had developed into a sustained dispute involving the library district itself. It was against that background that Rep. Yunker added his name to the renewed petition.
What the Law Required
Oregon law does not allow someone to leave a public district simply because they do not use its services or object to the associated taxes. ORS 198.870 establishes a specific test: withdrawal is approved when it is not feasible for the property to receive district services and denied when receiving those services is feasible. The signatures allowed Pelfrey’s petition to proceed; they did not establish that his property qualified for withdrawal.
This was not an especially complicated standard: the law and common sense pointed to the same conclusion. We should expect our state representative to understand that before lending his support to an effort like this. His signature leaves voters with an important question: Did Rep. Yunker put his name on this petition without understanding its history and implications, or did he understand exactly what he was supporting and choose to support it anyway?
On April 15, 2026, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners unanimously denied the renewed petition, concluding that the property could reasonably receive library services. Commissioner Gary Richardson noted that there were no geographical, physical, logistical or other circumstances making service infeasible; the property is less than two miles from the nearest library branch. After two withdrawal attempts and a legal challenge, the conclusion was straightforward: the property did not meet the statutory standard for withdrawal.
The decision resolved the petition, but it did not end the larger fight. After his request was denied, Pelfrey made clear that he intended to continue his efforts against the library, consistent with his earlier documented statements about shutting down or dissolving the district. What Josephine County voters do not yet know is whether Rep. Yunker intends to continue alongside him.
I Chose to Stand with Our Library
After the petition gathered the required public signatures and returned to the Board of Commissioners for another hearing, I was there because I believe the Josephine Community Library District is an institution worth defending. I spoke publicly before the commissioners in opposition to the withdrawal petition and in support of our library district. You can watch my public comments below:
My support for the library does not mean public institutions should be insulated from criticism. Government should be accountable, taxpayers deserve transparency, and residents have every right to question how public money is spent. But accountability is different from dismantling or weakening an institution that voters chose to create.
Josephine County voters approved the library district in 2017, and when it faced another challenge, I believed the appropriate response was to show up, listen to the evidence and stand publicly in its defense.
A Question Rep. Yunker Should Answer
I cannot tell you what Dwayne Yunker was thinking when he signed Mike Pelfrey’s petition, and the public record cannot answer that question. But it does establish that he signed it, and the people he represents deserve to understand why.
Did he understand the history of the effort, including Pelfrey’s previous withdrawal attempt and documented statements about shutting down or dissolving the library district? And knowing what we know today, does he still believe signing the petition was the right decision?
Those questions extend beyond a single library petition. Josephine County has public institutions and special districts that residents voted to create and support. We deserve to understand the principles our representatives will apply when those institutions are challenged.
Trust Is Built Through Our Choices
This election gives voters an opportunity to compare not only what Dwayne Yunker and I say, but what we have done when confronted with real choices. When Mike Pelfrey pursued another effort to withdraw his property from the Josephine Community Library District, Rep. Yunker chose to sign the petition. When that petition came before the county commissioners, I chose to appear publicly and speak in support of the library. Those are different choices, and voters can decide for themselves what those choices say about each of us.
For me, representation begins with trust: listening carefully, understanding the facts, respecting the institutions our community has chosen to create, and being willing to stand up publicly when they are challenged. That is what I believe Josephine County should expect from its state representative, and it is the standard I will continue to hold myself to.