CITY, NEWS

Clark  vs. Christopher:  First contested mayor’s race in 12 years

The race for Keizer mayor pits the incumbent, Cathy Clark, against a former mayor, Lore Christopher.

As campaigns go, the local race has not been a high-dollar matter.

Christopher reported raising $22,364 and spending $12,929 as of Oct. 11.

Clark reported raising $5,465 and spending $4,917.

Both candidates were provided questions by the Keizertimes and they responded in writing. Their answers have been abridged for length and clarity. 

Q: What motivated you to run for mayor? Please be specific.

CATHY CLARK:
In 2014, I ran for mayor so I could use my experience to lead our council team to address problems like frozen police positions and broken playgrounds, finish key transportation projects like Chemawa and the roundabout, pay down the debt left from the Keizer Station Local Improvement District bankruptcy, modernize our outdated charter and several master plans, and include more of our community in planning our future.

I am running for re-election so we can continue to carry out a community-focused vision to grow our strong, local economy, to encourage logical growth without new debt, to maintain inviting parks for sports and recreation, to continue to provide strong problem-oriented policing, to continue to update city operations with modern technology and systems, and to be a community where everyone belongs and has a voice in creating our future.

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
I am running for mayor because Keizer deserves a leader who acts with integrity, listens to the community, and keeps Keizer first. I bring fresh ideas, a strong work ethic and a commitment to transparency and accountability to city council.

I intend to see police positions fully funded, not frozen, creating a safe community for all, I want to see us live within the resources provided to us, not increasing taxes and fees without a vote, and I want to see Keizer work to provide more single-family homes, but we need to adjust our current urban growth boundary to gain more buildable land.  

Q: What do you propose as the next major specific step Keizer should take to address unhoused/homeless populations in the community?

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Continue to support coordinated outreach through our police and fire organizations that connects unhoused individuals with resources, healthcare, and services. 

CATHY CLARK:
Keizer’s niche has proven to be transitional housing and we need to continue to work with agencies siting homes in our neighborhoods that have been very successful in helping resident clients connect with our community and move forward with jobs and permanent housing. 

I will also continue to lobby state and federal agencies to increase mental health and addiction services in our area, along with support for preventing family and youth and young adult homelessness.

Q: Housing of all kinds remains in short supply in Keizer. What is the one most significant step you would have the city government take to address this shortage?

CATHY CLARK:
Keizer has been working to make it easier to build homes and mixed use options in our older neighborhoods. I believe the private property owners, builders and developers are best at knowing how to build homes people want. And the state middle housing program is working here in Keizer—homes can now be built and then sold individually, making it easier for the new homebuyer to afford. I support our work to make that even easier, such as the River Cherry Overlay District, and a wider variety of housing types like triplexes and cottage clustersKeizer has a role in helping solve Oregon’s housing supply crisis, but not at the expense of our local taxpayers or local farmland. The state has assigned Keizer a target of adding 215 new housing units in the next couple of years, which is the share they need us to take on as part of the statewide plan. This is totally achievable without millions of dollars of new roads or utilities.

That way, Keizer can focus on projects that benefit the current residents, like Wheatland Road, as well as allow for empty lots in the middle of town to come back to life. 

Keizer can retain our small-town character and welcome our share of new residents without taking on huge debt and massive traffic or neglecting the needs of our older neighborhoods.

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Keizer is out of buildable land.  We need to work with Salem and Marion and Polk counties to adjust our current urban growth boundary. We should also revisit the Willow Lake Overlay Zone to determine if the large amount of land that was not zoned for housing still applies.

We should discuss implementation of an inclusive housing strategy that prioritizes the development of affordable housing across various types of accommodations. “Starter Home” developments that could include duplex-triplexes, row housing and cottage clusters, but allow for folks to enter home ownership at a lower price point and still “own their own dirt.” 

Q:  What vision do you have for the business/residential portions of River Road? Please be specific.

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Keizer has needed additional north-south arterials or neighborhood collectors so that there are other options than River Road which is overly busy most of every workday. We are choking with traffic and there must be some thoughtful discussions to alleviate some of the congestion.

To support local businesses: Develop programs and incentives for small businesses, such as grants or reduced permits for startups to encourage development and new businesses that employ local workers.

CATHY CLARK:
Successes like Keizer Village and Schoolhouse Square have a variety of businesses, many of which are locally owned and operated, located close to neighborhoods. The return to village-style housing above businesses, or mixed use, offers more options for places to live close to work, services and shops.

Our vision in these plans is coming to life: two- and three-story mixed-use buildings with inviting architecture and landscaping, welcoming entrances and, where appropriate, outdoor dining spaces that create mini-downtown community places. Personally, I walk to our Keizer Cultural Center and other destinations close to home, and that adds to the home town community experience I treasure.

Q: What do you judge to be the top public safety issue in Keizer and how do you propose that city government address it?

CATHY CLARK:
Public safety is our community’s top priority.

Our police department does more than calculate how many officers we need for a town of 40,000. They look at what service level our community wants and at what it takes to deal with problems like drug trafficking, human trafficking, gangs, organized retail theft, and domestic violence, as well as day to day safety like traffic and code enforcement. 

Our police department has also expanded the use of technology. I listened to our police and community and supported putting cameras into our city parks. Those cameras are about to go live. I also supported body cams, portable drug testing equipment, and license plate readers, all of which give our police the modern tools they need to more quickly solve crimes.

We need to pay for the level of service we need to keep our community safe. Until the Keizer Station debt is paid off in 2029, I support continuing the public safety fee, established in 2016, to ensure we maintain our needed police staffing and services.

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Rising concerns around traffic, traffic safety and pedestrian safety, especially given the increase in population and road usage over recent years. 

Graffiti – this creates a “broken window” effect and invites additional tagging and graffiti.

Retail theft – this is an unsafe situation and increases consumer costs for goods.

Here’s some ideas that are already in place and working to help address Keizer’s the safety concerns: 

Increased traffic enforcement in high-traffic areas, during peak hours. 

Improved infrastructure: better signage, well-marked crosswalks, and pedestrian signals, especially in areas frequented by children and older adults. Utility wrapped in art to discourage tagging and slow traffic down.

Serpentine sidewalks that are wide enough for strollers and passing pedestrians.

Continuing retail theft “special operations” in cooperation with Marion County Sheriff’s Department.

Q: Considering the Keizer city budget, what element as mayor would you consider reducing and why?

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Discretionary spending on non-essential programs and services, particularly those that don’t directly impact public safety or essential community services. 

Conduct a thorough review of current contracts and vendor services. This could include areas such as community events, marketing, or certain recreational programs that can be modified or scaled back without significantly affecting the overall quality of life for residents.

By prioritizing funding for essential services such as public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and housing initiatives, the city could ensure that its budget aligns better with the most pressing needs of the community.

CATHY CLARK:
Keizer has always operated on a lean, focused budget to get the highest value for each taxpayer dollar. Keizer services have always been based on efficiency and need. There are very few items in the budget that might be thought of as non-essential and those are very low cost in the overall picture.

Rather than reducing, I support keeping costs contained through ongoing technology upgrades

to help our current staff better serve our community. And I support ongoing partnerships such as

the Keizer Heritage Center, Willamette Valley Communications (911) and the Mid-Willamette

Valley Homeless Alliance that provide services that benefit our community and are more

efficient when done by nonprofits or professionals in those spaces.

Q: Considering the Keizer city budget, what element as a councilor would you consider

expanding and why?

CATHY CLARK:
Today’s economy does not support expansion or addition of services. But we have an ongoing

need for expansion in at least one area: Code enforcement. Our staff of one person for a city of this size is not enough to keep up with demand. Code enforcement is important for both livability and public safety and I support finding a way to fund an additional code enforcement officer.

LORE CHRISTOPHER:

Partnering with local volunteers and nonprofits to provide additional community outreach and engagement programs. Expanding these programs can have several positive impacts:

*Could foster a greater sense of belonging and connection among residents. Expanding existing programs such as the monthly community dinners.

*Enhancing public safety, which can help to address and alleviate public safety concerns. 

*Youth and family services, partnering with social services nonprofits targeted towards youth and families, such as mentorship programs and after-school services, and offer positive alternatives to at-risk behaviors.

Q: What role do you see for you as mayor in improving civility among councilors?

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
Modeling respectful behavior: Councilors should demonstrate respectful communication and active listening during discussions. By modeling civility, they set a standard for how debates and disagreements should be handled.

Encouraging open dialogue: Creating a safe environment for open dialogue can foster a culture of civility. Councilors should encourage each other to express their ideas and concerns without fear of personal attacks.

Promoting collaboration: Councilors can work together on projects and initiatives to build relationships and understanding among members. Collaborative efforts can reduce tensions and improve mutual respect.

Engaging with each other and community members in a civil manner reflects positively on the council as a whole.  

CATHY CLARK:
My role is to model and to enforce our agreed-upon procedures for decorum. When I became

mayor, I made immediate changes to our public comment process, establishing the expectation

that we will quietly pay attention to each person who comes to speak. I have also encouraged

us to refer issues to our professional staff so we can get a full picture of a problem before giving

directions for solutions. And I have worked with council to make ongoing changes to council

rules and procedures, as well as writing a council onboarding manual, so we have written

documents to pass on to the next council that helps set them up for success.

Each of us on council is an elected official with the responsibility to engage with civility and

respect to our peers, community members and all members of the staff. I appreciate spirited and

passionate discussion of issues facing our community. What I discourage is disparaging

remarks or behaviors that are personal in nature. We do not have to be unified in opinion but we

must be united in treating each other with dignity and respect.

Q: What are three specific priorities you have if elected mayor and what would success on those

priorities deliver for the community?

CATHY CLARK:
* Continue the process of modernizing city operations and public safety for best value to

taxpayers for service and efficiency. Success looks like fully staffed police, well

maintained parks, public works, and public spaces, and all city staff having modern

technology and systems to provide timely and quality service to Keizer residents.

* Continue economic development through good customer service, simple and

straightforward regulations, lower taxes and fees than others in our region, and well

maintained streets and water systems that attract business investment. Success looks

like businesses opening and expanding in Keizer, more local jobs so less people need to

commute for work, properties redeveloping and offering new jobs and housing without

additional burden on taxpayers.

  • Continue to listen to our community on what we all want in order to improve our public

spaces like parks, streets, and neighborhoods. Success looks like public involvement in

setting our priorities for creating our public spaces and a foundation for a bright future for

the next generation

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
First, I am committed to prioritizing community safety by fully funding police officer positions. Success in this area means our police officers have the support they need to be safe and keep us safe.

Second, Keizer is out of land.  We need to work with Salem, Marion and Polk Counties to adjust the current Urban Growth Boundary to allow for additional buildable land for a variety of housing options. Success will look like vibrant neighborhoods with a range of housing types that meet the needs of families, seniors, and individuals alike.

Lastly, I will work diligently to provide economic prosperity by collaborating with our local business community. My goal is to streamline processes and create a business-friendly atmosphere that encourages business growth, innovation, and job creation. Success in this priority will result in a thriving local economy, more job opportunities for residents, and increased investment in Keizer.

Q:  What three skills make you the best choice for mayor?

LORE CHRISTOPHER:
*Experience: With a solid background in local governance and community engagement, I understand the inner workings of our city and the challenges we face.

*Leadership: I have a collaborative leadership style that fosters teamwork and inclusivity. I believe in bringing people together – residents, community leaders, and city staff – to develop solutions that best serve Keizer.

*Strong Work Ethic: I am deeply committed to getting things done. My strong work ethic drives me to go above and beyond to ensure that our city’s needs are met. I am dedicated to fully funding police positions to enhance community safety, solving the problem of no buildable land and creating diverse housing options for all residents, and collaborating with local businesses to stimulate economic growth. My tenacity ensures that I follow through on promises and take action that leads to tangible results for our community.

CATHY CLARK:
*I listen to the community and work to bring people together to collaborate thoughtfully to

solve problems.

* I have local, regional and state experience that provides a voice for Keizer, making sure

we are represented and active in any decision making as well as being the regional

leader that Keizer is.

*I have led Keizer during these last 10 years of community change, pandemic, natural

disasters, generational transition, challenges such as homelessness, and keeping our

finances on track following the Keizer Station local improvement district foreclosure debt.

I have learned to trust the grit and wisdom of our community to rise to face challenges

and create solutions that other cities seek to follow.

Cathy Clark
Lore Christopher