Local Control Can Help Fix More Than Just Potholes

By State Representative Matt Bunch, For The Sandy Standard

Although the 2026 legislative session is still months away, the work of preparing for it has already begun. One of the most important parts of serving as your State Representative is listening to the concerns of local communities and looking for practical solutions to everyday problems.

Over the past several months, I've been meeting with city leaders, county officials, business owners, and residents throughout House District 51. Those conversations often produce ideas that don't make headlines but can make a real difference in people's daily lives.

One idea I've been thinking about is what I call the "Pothole Bill."

If you've driven through communities like Sandy, you've probably noticed that many of the main roads running through town are actually state highways maintained by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). When a pothole develops, local public works crews often hear about it first because they're the ones residents call.

Today, those cities typically notify ODOT and, in many cases, temporarily patch the pothole to keep drivers safe while waiting for ODOT to make permanent repairs. Unfortunately, once the immediate safety concern has been addressed, the repair can become a lower priority, leaving local communities waiting for a permanent fix.

I believe there's a better way.

Rather than requiring cities to wait, why not empower local governments to complete the repair themselves and then bill ODOT for the cost?

Our local public works crews are already on the ground. They know their streets, have the equipment, and can often respond much more quickly than a centralized agency managing roads across the entire state. Giving communities the flexibility to handle these repairs would mean safer roads, quicker service for residents, and fewer maintenance requests sitting on ODOT's to-do list.

To me, this is about more than potholes.

It's about local control.

I've long believed that the people closest to a problem are often best equipped to solve it. We don't always need more bureaucracy or another layer of government. Sometimes we simply need to trust our local communities and give them the authority to get the job done.

This idea is still in its early stages, and there are details that would need to be worked out. We would want to establish clear standards for repairs, reimbursement procedures, and coordination with ODOT. But I believe it's exactly the kind of practical, common-sense solution that deserves consideration during the 2026 legislative session.

As I continue preparing legislative concepts for next year, I want to hear from you.

If you have an idea that could improve government, strengthen our communities, support local businesses, or make life a little easier for Oregonians, I'd love to hear it. Some of the best ideas don't come from Salem — they come from the people who live and work in our communities every day.

Please feel free to reach out to my office at Rep.MattBunch@oregonlegislature.gov with your ideas and suggestions.

Together, we can continue finding practical solutions that put local communities first.