Corvallis is a great place to live.  And everything that makes Corvallis special – the people, the welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community, the arts, culture, and natural beauty, the University, the services – mean that people want to live here.  Our success presents us our greatest challenge.  Corvallis is becoming less and less affordable.  Every day, 20,000 people commute in to Corvallis from surrounding communities because they can’t afford to live here.  Other members of our community can’t afford housing at all.  Our carbon footprint is tied directly to all those commuters.  The best thing that we can do to address climate change, homelessness, and affordability is to support development of more affordable housing.  I will support policies to make Corvallis more affordable and to reduce barriers to housing.

I pledge to only support new taxes on Corvallis residents through a vote of the people. The biggest issue before Council is the structural gap between City revenues and projected spending. City costs are increasing at more than 5% per year while revenues rise at less than 4% annually. The current Council is considering payroll and/or income taxes to close the gap. While new revenue streams could improve equity for taxpayers and reduce reliance on service fees, I’ve heard from Ward 7 voters that the City should do much more to live within its means and control costs before raising new taxes. Corvallis has a strong history of support for the City and City services; we must not take that support for granted.

I pledge to focus my work as a City Councilor on local, City issues within the scope of Council authority. The Corvallis City Council and City government have plenty of work to do to serve City residents and make wise use of local taxes. The Council in particular must connect residents with the City Manager and staff on local issues within our authority. This is our work. There are of course many great national and international issues dividing Americans today. You and I as Corvallis residents care deeply about those issues and participate actively in the democratic process at the County, State, and national levels. We must not let those issues keep us from doing the work of City government. City Council positions are non-partisan. As a long-time civil servant, I believe in serving all residents, in uniting people and in finding common ground.

I support a phased approach to addressing City facility needs within the City’s ability to pay. The existing Law Enforcement Building / police station is seismically unsafe, and the City Hall is over 100 years old. Capital investment is needed but must be balanced with taxpayers’ ability to pay. These two projects alone are projected to cost over $ 90 million, there are other needs for the City, County, and School District, and residents are already paying for bonds for School District construction. I would prioritize the Law Enforcement Building and put the question of funding – either bonds or new taxes – to the voters for a decision.

The City is again debating a requirement for Home Energy Scores. Meanwhile, the greatest single challenge identified by Corvallis residents is affordability, and the greatest carbon impact generated by Corvallis is the 20,000 people who commute in to Corvallis each day from surrounding communities because they can’t afford to live in our town. I would prioritize housing affordability, homelessness, and reducing greenhouse gasses by reducing barriers to housing rather than adding requirements. Sellers can already calculate and disclose Home Energy Scores if they wish to do so. Buyers can request them. This proposal would add a layer of bureaucracy and a cost to housing when it’s already too expensive.

I pledge to listen to local residents rather than decide for them. As the City conducts infrastructure maintenance and repaves City streets, there’s often an opportunity to reconsider traffic lanes, bicycle lanes, and parking. The current proposal to remove on-street parking on NW Garfield Avenue reflects this dynamic. Most residents on Garfield oppose this change. I believe that other tools are available to increase traffic and bicycle safety on Garfield without taking away parking for residents.