1.Briefly describe your background in the areas of education, business and government.

I went to Oregon State University and changed my major several times, finally settling on General Science. The majority of my career history has been in sales (sales, outside sales, management) and some resident management. I have completed leadership, conflict resolution, and communication training and education.

2.Why are you running for City Council, and what are your top three priorities for the City?

I have chosen to run for City Council because I would like to serve my community. As a parent raising my two children in Corvallis I want the best version of Corvallis now and in the future.

My top three priorities for the city are: 1. Supporting and improving safety (fire, police, and emergency preparedness), educational and employment opportunities, and environmental responsibility. 2. Find manageable ways to mitigate issues surrounding homelessness. 3. Improve communication and understanding between city government and the average citizen.

3.What should the City do to address the housing market challenges?

Low housing inventory means tough competition and aggressive bids on home sales. Low interest rates are also attracting buyers. Many first time home buyers have student debt and face competition from cash offers. Many retirees are hesitant to sell their houses to downsize for fear of not being able to find a smaller home to purchase. Additional housing inventory, not just additional single family homes but all types of housing, would help to alleviate these problems. According to the Urbanization Study Draft Corvallis has a deficit of high density residential housing for the next 20 years. To address this shortage Corvallis will need to annex additional land or re-designate other vacant land types.

4.What are realistic priorities for the City’s new Community Development Director to address?

I think Paul Bilotta has done a good job in the short time he has been in Corvallis. When the Imagine Corvallis 2040 draft is finalized, I hope the department will quickly begin tackling whatever outlined goals they are tasked with. I would also like to see additional intergovernmental and agency relationships fostered. Maintaining open lines of communication with surrounding governments, nonprofits, and non-governmental groups and agencies would be beneficial to all involved. Increased collaboration has the potential to eliminate duplicate or overlapping services and improve efficiency.

5.What problems do you see with the City’s land use planning and development processes and what could/should be done to improve these policies and practices?

Corvallis requires land annexations to be approved by the voters. This process is time consuming and involves many steps and costs. Lengthy timelines and uncertainty of development make contractors hesitant to attempt to build. Additional costs of building are passed along to the home buyer. By the same token this practice is what has helped Corvallis retain its small town feel. Senate BIll 1573 takes away the ability of Oregon cities to require annexation by vote. The City of Corvallis is pursuing litigation to challenge the bill. In general, I am hesitant to take away citizen voting, I fear it is a slippery slope. Depending on the outcome of Corvallis’ legal action, that decision may be made for us. Either way the process needs to be streamlined because the reality is, from time to time new land needs to be annexed to meet requirements under Oregon Goal #10 and to keep our economy growing. City Council has adopted housing development as a goal for several years, it is my hope is the 2017-18 Council makes more progress in this area than in previous years.

6.What could/should the City do to offset increasing costs (such as PERS) and assure itself a more sustainable fiscal future?

Some ideas to offset increasing costs include a local gas tax, local recreational marijuana tax, and finding an appropriate way to tax large nonprofits in our city. For example, OSU and Good Samaritan are two of the largest employers in Corvallis. They provide great services and are vital to our economy, but they do not pay property taxes to the city. Finding a way to responsibly tax, perhaps a payroll tax, would bring in additional revenue. Property tax reform if done properly would help generate additional revenue. Simply raising property taxes time and time again is not a sustainable solution, and ineffective when properties are entering compression. The other side of the coin is to cut services, which the city has already been doing. In the future the city should take every opportunity to support the educational system, employment opportunities, and the housing market; all of which contribute to a strong economy.