A Wednesday night public hearing before Clackamas County commissioners approved a proposed settlement with TriMet, drawing in a lively crowd less than a month before the Sept. 18 special election when county voters will decide the fate of an initiative measure to require votes on funding public-rail projects.

"This is how the democratic process is supposed to work," said Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts, saying he supported the citizens' measure next month, as well as the commissioners' effort to reduce the county's contribution.

Also in support of the agreement were West Linn Councilor Jody Carson and Lake Oswego Mayor Jack Hoffman. However, former Wilsonville Mayor John Ludlow, who is running against County Chairwoman Charolette Lehan in November, said the commission was giving up a potential opportunity to get "100 percent off," even if that meant a lawsuit from TriMet.

After nearly six hours of public hearing, commissioners eventually voted 3-1 to approve the agreement, with Commissioner Paul Savas voting against, and Commissioner Jim Bernard abstaining due to his property near the line.

The commission had previously agreed to pay $25 million to TriMet as its portion of the $1.49 billion light-rail project under construction through Portland and Milwaukie to unincorporated Oak Grove. Last week, the county released a proposed settlement to pay TriMet $19.9 million by Oct. 10, in addition to donated services and land donations that would bring its total contributions to $22.6 million.

"We know how to work across boundaries to find innovative solutions," said Oak Grove resident Pat Kennedy. "Representative government needs to hold sway in this area."

Animator Will Vinton, who also lives in Oak Grove, was among the approximately 100 people who signed up to speak to the commission. Vinton said the line would be an "important catalyst" in bringing jobs to the county.

But leaders of the Clackamas County initiative measure to require a vote on public rail projects blasted the funding settlement agreement with TriMet unveiled last week, saying that the county was pushing through a deal before getting input from voters.

"Shouldn't you hear what the people have to say before you railroad this payment?" asked John Lee, chairman of the Clackamas County Republican Party.

Earlier this week, Moody's Investors Service announced a favorable Aa2 rating on $19.14 million in bonds for light-rail payments, citing Clackamas County's full faith and credit pledge of "all legally available resources." But the finance group said that the bonds probably wouldn't be sold until Sept. 6, when an interest rate would be set.

Clackamas County officials estimate taxpayers would save about $330,000 per year, or $6.6 million over the life of the 20-year bonds, if commissioners agreed to the proposed settlement. If Clackamas County were to defer payment until September of 2013, it would have to pay TriMet an additional 5 percent annual interest rate.

"It's very shameful what's going on," said Jim Knapp, chief petitioner of September's Measure 3-401.

At a Nov. 29 work session, Clackamas County staff recommended that the payment come from a credit bond such as the one used to build the county’s $53.8 million Oregon City Red Soils complex in 2008. Using the tax base freed by retiring the Clackamas Town Center’s urban-renewal district in June 2013 would avoid having to go to the voters for a general obligation bond to approve new sources of funding.