10/02/2026
Your OFDA board of directors has sent this letter in opposition to the proposed fee increases to the members of the Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board. There will be a vote by the OMCB on October 13th to decide this issue.
OFDA will continue to keep you updated.
An Open Letter to the Members of the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board
From the Oregon Funeral Directors Association
October 2, 2026
We are writing to you to formally and unequivocally oppose the current proposed fee increase until the underlying financial circumstances of the OMCB have been fully explained and transparently documented. The time for vague answers, unanswered questions, and procedural silence has passed.
We recognize that the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board is facing significant challenges. We also understand that, following the period of public testimony, a meeting is now scheduled for October 13, at which the Board is expected to consider and vote on the proposed increase in licensing fees.
We respectfully urge every member of the OMCB to vote NO on the proposed fee increase unless and until the OMCB has received complete financial documentation and satisfactory answers to the questions being raised by Oregon's licensed death-care professionals.
This is a decision that can directly affect the viability of funeral homes, mortuaries, cemeteries, crematories, and other death-care businesses—many of which are already operating under substantial regulatory, labor, operational, and economic pressures. And you are making that decision on behalf of an industry that serves Oregon families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
If Board members do not have a complete understanding of the budget before them, they should not be expected to simply approve it.
Oregon licensees have repeatedly asked fundamental questions about the financial condition of this public agency. To date, those questions have not received the clear, substantive answers that licensees—and the public—have a right to expect.
Where did the financial shortfall originate? How is the OMCB budget developed, monitored, and reviewed? Who is ultimately responsible for determining that the Board's financial position requires such a substantial increase in fees? What financial controls and oversight are currently in place?
And perhaps most importantly: Why are Oregon's licensed death-care professionals being asked to bear the financial consequences before these questions have been adequately answered?
These are not unreasonable questions. These are basic questions of fiscal accountability.
The recent termination of the Executive Director only heightens the need for transparency. That significant personnel action was not affirmatively communicated to the public through a formal announcement; rather, it appeared as a matter referenced in a meeting agenda. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding that decision, the lack of clear public communication contributes to a growing perception that critical information is being handled procedurally rather than transparently. That perception must be addressed.
If the Oregon Department of Administrative Services or other state personnel have not provided the Board with the information necessary to independently understand and evaluate the agency's financial position, that information must be provided before a vote is taken.
There is no legitimate reason for the financial condition of a public regulatory agency to be shrouded in uncertainty. Reasonable questions from volunteer OMCB members cannot not/should not be dismissed, deflected, or left unanswered..
A “NO” vote is not a rejection of the OMCB or responsible regulation. It is a demand for accountability before authorization. It is a message that a group of dedicated Oregon licensees will not simply be presented with an unexplained financial problem and expected to write the check.
This Vote Has Consequences. We urge you not to underestimate the consequences of your decision. You are voting on the financial burden imposed on every licensed death-care professional and business in Oregon.
They deserve better than unexplained numbers and unanswered questions. Now is the time for the Board to demonstrate that accountability is more than a word—it is a responsibility.
Respectfully,
Oregon Funeral Directors Association
On behalf of Oregon's licensed funeral service professionals
