Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West’s father, Tom West, started a $33-an-hour maintenance job last month, shortly after West told the county administrator that his father was looking for work. The county did not advertise the position, stating that policy does not require an open competitive recruiting process for temporary positions. The hourly wage of $33 per hour translates into an annual salary of about $68,000. Ben West, who was elected in 2022 and makes about $127,354 as a commissioner, said he saw no conflict of interest with his father working for the county. Kate Titus, executive director of Common Cause Oregon, said the hiring of an elected official's relative raises potential ethical questions.