County commissioner told top official that his dad needed a job. Now dad earns $33 an hour in unposted gig
Updated: Mar. 06, 2026, 11:39 a.m.|Published: Mar. 03, 2026, 7:24 a.m.
By Noelle Crombie | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West’s father started a $33-an-hour job last month, not long after West told the county administrator that his father was looking for work.
Tom West, the commissioner’s dad, started Feb. 17 as a full-time temporary building maintenance specialist, county officials confirmed.
The county did not post the job, according to county administrator Gary Schmidt. County policy does not require an open competitive recruiting process for temporary positions, he said.
The hourly wage translates into an annual salary of about $68,000.
Schmidt said in response to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive that Ben West called him in mid-December and “let me know his father was available for facilities work and did I know of any job openings at Clackamas County.”
Schmidt, the top county government manager, answers to the five-member Board of Commissioners. Ben West was elected in 2022 and makes about $127,354 as a commissioner.
Schmidt said he checked with his staff who told him “there was a need” for a maintenance specialist.
“My staff called Tom West directly and interviewed him,” Schmidt said.
Tom West could not be reached for comment. He is a journeyman carpenter with years of experience working at a Portland architectural hardware and lighting store, according to his application, which the county provided to the news organization.
Ben West said his father received no special treatment and noted that Sheriff Angela Brandenburg’s husband John holds a similar position.
Ben West said in an interview that he suggested to his father that he apply for openings.
The commissioner said he stayed out of the hiring process and sees no conflict of interest with his father working for the county. His father and Brandenburg work in the facilities division, which falls under the county’s finance department.
“After the interview, I spoke to the (finance) director and said thank you and it looks like there’s a good fit here,” Ben West said.