**Due to Columbia County's mandate of 15 unpaid furlough days, response time to phone calls and emails will be delayed.**

Welcome from Columbia County Assessor Andrea Jurkiewicz

Thank you for visiting the webpage of the Columbia County Assessor. Please know that my staff and I are committed to using a proven foundation to establish fair and equitable property values in the county. Your property taxes are vitally important to the economic health and sustainability of Columbia County. Please feel free to contact us about any concerns you have about property assessment or your eligibility for available property tax relief programs.

About the Assessor's Office

The Columbia County Assessor is an elected official whose role is to establish a fair and equitable real market value on all real property and business personal property for tax purposes in accordance with Oregon Property Tax Laws. The assessor is responsible for the administration of all property tax data records and maintains accurate parcel ownership data based upon recorded property transactions at the Columbia County Clerk's Office.

The major duties of the Assessor are to locate and identify each property; inventory, classify, value, and calculate the tax on each property; prepare and certify the annual assessment roll for the county; and respond to all property value appeals.

Manufactured Dwellings

Manufactured dwelling ownership and siting information is maintained by the Building Codes Division (BCD) of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). The Columbia County Assessor's office is no longer an agent for the Building Codes Division and cannot process changes for manufactured dwellings. Please visit the MHODS webpage for more information.

Personal Property eFiling

Click here to electronically file a Business Personal Property Return form.

Understanding Your Property Taxes

Welcome

Thank you for visiting the Columbia County website! As Commissioners, it is our goal to make county information available to you in the most convenient way possible. We hope this website gives you that opportunity. In addition to news and features about Columbia County, you can sign up to receive information on a variety of topics, from commission decisions to events in our county parks to the actions of our many advisory committees. In time, you will be able to report issues you may find throughout the county through an upgraded 311 system. Please go to our opt-in page (www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/PublicHealth/stay-informed) to sign up for the type of information you want and need about Columbia County. 

About the Board of Commissioners

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners is the legislative and executive authority for Columbia County. The Board consists of three officials who are elected in non-partisan races every four years. One commissioner serves as chair, another as vice-chair and the other as budget officer.

Operating out of the county seat of St. Helens, the Board is responsible for some of the most important issues the community needs to thrive and be prosperous. From public safety, to economic development, to protecting natural areas and resources, to managing safe and reliable roads and public transit, the board works to assure that county residents are served in an efficient and effective manner. 

The Board collectively oversees most county departments, including CC Rider, the county’s transit service.  Commissioners also work closely with the county’s elected Sheriff, Clerk, Assessor, District Attorney and Justice Court.

Email the Board's Office at: BoardofCommissionersOffice@columbiacountyor.gov

Meet your Commissioners

Welcome. My dedicated and knowledgeable staff is committed to serving you in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. If you are unable to find what you need on our webpage, then please feel free to call us or stop by the county courthouse - we will be happy to help you. ~ Debbie Klug, Columbia County Clerk

About the Clerk's Office

The County Clerk is the official keeper of public records for Columbia County. The Clerk's office provides a range of mandated recording services, which include the receipting, indexing, storage, and retrieval of a variety of legal documents pertaining to the ownership of real property.  These documents include but are not limited to Deeds, Mortgages, Contracts, Liens, Easements, Subdivisions, Partition Plats, and Military Discharge.

The County Clerk serves as the County Elections Official who is responsible for a variety of functions including establishing precincts, registering voters, maintaining voter lists, receiving all nominations and petitions for elections, accepting declarations of candidacy for public office, preparing ballots, receiving and processing votes and coordinates the conduct of elections at the county level.

The Property Value Appeals Board is also the responsibility of the County Clerk. This office receives petitions, coordinates, and records Board of Property Tax Appeal hearings all In accordance with the Oregon Revised Statutes and Oregon Administrative Rules.

The Columbia County Clerk’s office is where you can obtain vital records such as Marriage Licenses and Death Certificates (the Clerk does not issue birth records). The County Clerk also has the authority to solemnize marriages.  Death Certificates are issued for those who pass away in Columbia County.

As an Acceptance Agent for the United States Passport Agency, the County Clerk’s office accepts Passport Applications.

The Columbia County Clerk’s office strives to promote the highest level of customer service that reflects value and integrity while using our resources for efficient records management at the lowest possible cost.

Welcome from Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond

Thank you for visiting the Columbia County District Attorney's Office webpage. I am honored to serve the citizens of Columbia County and committed to working with the people of this community to make it a truly great place to live and work. My office's goal is to serve our residents diligently and compassionately in all criminal matters. My office will ensure victims and witnesses of crime, those impacted by crime, and those who investigate it are treated with empathy and respect. In short, I want to do what works to make our county safe and secure. Please read through our web pages to learn how we may assist you, and never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns..

~ Joshua Pond

The District Attorney's Office

The Columbia County District Attorney’s Office represents the State of Oregon prosecuting all felony crimes as well as the vast majority of misdemeanors, including aggravated murder, child abuse, sex trafficking, drug crimes, domestic violence, DUIs, and other traffic crimes. The DA and his staff seek justice by fairly and impartially enforcing laws as well as advocating for victims' rights. By managing these activities, the District Attorney helps to make Columbia County a safe and healthy place to live, work and do business. Divisions in the District Attorney's Office include Criminal, Child Support Enforcement →, and the Crime Victims Assistance Program →.

Besides prosecutions, our office also handles civil or quasi-civil matters, such as child support enforcement, paternity cases, and mental commitment hearings. We also assist with juvenile delinquency cases. The District Attorney is also required by statute to advise other agencies, such as the Civil Service Commission, certain districts upon request, ballot title review, and ruling on public records disputes.

The Columbia County District Attorney's Office is part of a law enforcement partnership that includes the Columbia County Sheriff's Office → and the Department of Community Justice →, as well as local municipal police agencies and the Oregon State Police.

The District Attorney's Office also contributes to the County's public safety network as a member of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council, the Child Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), the Elder Abuse MDT, Child Fatality Review Team, and the Columbia County Major Crimes Team.

The Columbia County District Attorney is an elected office with a term of four years.

The District Attorney prosecutes on behalf of the people of Oregon and does not represent or give legal advice on behalf of individual citizens. For private matters, please contact a private attorney. Lawyer referral services are available through the Oregon Bar Association → and the Oregon State Bar →.

The County Clerk is the chief election official of Columbia County.

The Clerk’s Elections division plans, administers, conducts, and certifies all Federal, State, County, City, and Special District elections held within the county.

Columbia County Elections is also responsible for:

• facilitating voter registrations and registration updates
• maintaining the Columbia County portion of the State voter database
• processing Candidate filings
• processing County, City, and District referrals
• producing  a county-level Voter’s pamphlet for the Primary and General Elections
• local County and district level Initiative and Referendum process
• petition processing
• managing political boundaries within the county.

Normally scheduled elections can be held on the:

• second Tuesday in March
• third Tuesday in May
• third Tuesday in August, and
• first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (ORS 255.345)

Elections in March and August are very rare in Columbia County.  There are three elections that are guaranteed to be held every two years. They are:

• The Oregon Primary Election. Held in May of even years, the purpose of the Primary Election is to determine nominations for office at federal, state, and local county levels.  Major political parties will elect precinct committee persons at this election.  Local measures may appear on this ballot also.
• The Oregon General Election.  Held in November of even years, the General Election elects candidates into Federal, State, County, and City office.  Local PUDs have district elections at this time, as do Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  State and local measures may also appear on this ballot. 
• Special District Election.  Held in May of odd years, the Special District election elects Board of directors for local schools, fire protection, library, park and recreation, port, and 911 Districts.  There are nineteen special districts servicing Columbia County that have elections at this election. 

The Oregon state legislature or a successful recall petition drive can call for a Special Election at any time, regardless of these dates.

Elections Overview / Presentation

COLUMBIA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN 2023-2028

COLUMBIA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH MODERNIZATION PLAN 2026

The Public Works Department oversees a wide range of tasks associated with the county’s public infrastructure.

Divisions within the department include Road Maintenance, Engineering, and Solid Waste Management.

In Oregon, the Sheriff's duty is to maintain the peace within the county.

As an elected official, the Sheriff is directly accountable to the people. Many are under the impression that our duties are mostly in the patrol of areas outside municipal city limits. While it is true that we provide law enforcement services to rural parts of the county, this is just a part of what it means to “conserve the peace” in our communities.

Our operations cover a wide variety of duties including law enforcement, maintaining and operating the jail, delivering civil papers, executing court orders, providing safety and security to the county courthouse, organizing search and rescue operations and preparing for and coordinating responses to many public safety emergencies in our county.

Our strategic plan calls for collaboration and partnership with our community to strengthen it as a desirable place to live!

Continue to the Sheriff's website →

Welcome from Columbia County Surveyor Nathan A Woodward

**April 22, 2026, through April 24, 2027, Columbia County Webmaps will have intermittent outages as a result of ongoing upgrades to meet Title II-ADA WCAG requirements.**

About the Surveyor's Office

The office, under the guidance of the Oregon Revised Statutes, serves the public by:

• reviewing private surveys for State compliance and filing them in the Surveyor’s records

• reviewing subdivisions, partitions, and condominium plats for State compliance and filing an exact copy in the Surveyor’s records

• maintaining survey records and providing a means for public research

• restoring and maintaining Public Land Survey System corners (Government Corners).

Columbia County has had a County Surveyor since 1854. Since that time, the most valuable role of the County Surveyor is to survey county-owned property and to restore and maintain the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). The original PLSS is not only the basis for the establishment and protection of property rights but also the foundation of the County’s ability to accurately assess and collect the property taxes that fund many County services. As Columbia County continues to grow, development, construction, and logging threaten the PLSS on a daily basis and consequently, many of the public’s rights and functions of government are threatened. This is why the County Surveyor’s office has developed a strong PLSS Corner Restoration Program that will continue to support the County into the future.

Assisting the public is the most important non-mandated service that the Surveyor’s Office provides. With a growing county and property changing hands daily, the Surveyor’s office strives to be a resource for the public to find answers to their survey-related questions.

The County Surveyor does not survey private land. Please use the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon directory to select a surveyor for your personal needs.