Centro director resigns from county board shared by critic

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - The director of Lane County's largest non-profit serving the Latino population resigned from a committee that also includes a city councilor who says the non-profit should not receive county funding because he thinks it serves illegal immigrants.

Juan Carlos Valle resigned Thursday from the budget committee of the Lane County Regional Air Protection Agency, saying he no longer feels comfortable serving on the board with Springfield City Councilor Dave Ralston.

"My civic engagement and participation is based on the premise that I'm going to be collaborating and participating in a safe environment," Valle told KVAL News. "Being at the same table as Mr. Ralston, it doesn't secure that for me."

Ralston called Valle's resignation "total posturing."

"He's attended one meeting in two years," Ralston said. "He went to one last year and missed one last year and last month he missed the first meeting. That was long before my comments. So this is just a way of him to make it look like he's not being able to do his civic duties because of comments that I've made."

Valle said a meeting was planned for 5:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss the issue.