Laura Reid answered questions about her eight years as a Keizer City Councilor. She served from 2017 to 2025.
Keizertmes: What are your thoughts after eight years on city council?
Laura Reid: For the last 24 years, I have appreciated Keizer as a wonderful place to live: A small town, next to a big town, near a metropolis, and close to both coast and mountains. Now I know a lot more about what makes it work and how it is special from a logistics perspective. There is a term I hear a lot during my service: “The Keizer Way.” That usually means we take whatever exigencies the state or nation imposes and make them work in a way that makes sense for us. This is largely due to the creativity and professionalism of the Council and staff.
KT: What did you learn about government?
LR: Government is a very complex and abstract beast. The different jurisdictions have sometimes very distinct and sometimes very blurry lines. We, as Councilors, have to be able to understand what our lane is and stay in it. However, if there is something someone inquires about that we have no control over, we need to be able to help them figure out who to contact. “Connecting people to resources” is a key part of our job, and we rely heavily on the staff and their expertise to help us understand how to do that.
KT: What did you learn about Keizer you didn’t know before your service?
LR: One of the first things (former City Manager) Chris Eppley taught me was that city government does all the things that no one else can make a profit at. We often get criticized for not running the City like a business, but they are not the same things. We have to run the City like a City, which means we have to play by all the rules and use tax dollars as efficiently as possible.
KT: What did you learn about yourself after two terms on council?
|LR: I have always thought of myself as more willing than able, and I’ve discovered that’s ok as long as I learn to delegate and work with the people who ARE able. Delegation has been hard for me, but I couldn’t do this job without it.
KT: What were your most memorable moments on the council?
LR: One of my first big projects was working on the Solar Eclipse Festivities. That was a wonderful introduction on how Councilors work with different entities (the Parks Board, the Parks Foundation, a myriad of volunteers, etc.) to make things happen. We have such fantastic volunteers in Keizer, and they do great things!
I loved being a part of the first Keizer Police Department Citizen’s Academy. I loved coming to a better understanding of Keizer’s philosophy of policing and the very complex issues they face on a daily basis. We toured the County Jail and did some crime scene simulations. It was so informative and such fun!
Another memorable event was the Keizer 40th Birthday Celebration. I was among those in charge of planning that, and there were so many moving pieces. I am not an event planner by any stretch of the imagination, but those who ARE stepped up and did great work!
Probably my favorite thing was going around with the police and other City Officials during Neighborhood night out. It was a wonderful way to get to know people in different pockets of Keizer and understand their concerns. And such fabulous food!
KT: What were the most rewarding aspects of being a councilor?
LR: I get to work with people who know how to get things done! Mayor Clark is truly one of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with. Her example and mentorship sets a high bar, and she is wonderful to work with. I also loved working with the various committees to come to a better understanding of the different elements of Keizer. Additionally, it’s rewarding to see projects come to fruition. I got to see a lot of that with Keizer Public Arts Commission projects and things like the pickleball courts and turf fields. But even things like new turn lanes, cleaned-out drains, and new zoning make big differences in making people’s lives easier.
KT: What role did your family play during your service?
LR: My family is always a wonderful support. They helped out tremendously during the Keizer 40th Birthday, and they came along with me to various parks clean-ups or the Civic Center clean-up or whatever events were happening. My grandsons have gone with me to public works and fire district events, and my granddogs have participated in the Keizerfest pet parade. They (the family, not the dogs) met me for dinner sometimes between meetings, and didn’t ever complain when I was gone.
KT: What will your post-council life be like? What do you want to be involved with?
LR: I don’t anticipate having much extra free time, but hopefully I will catch up on some reading. I will continue to serve at McNary; as a teacher, there are always plenty of things to get involved with. I will also continue to be involved with Keizer Homegrown Theatre (maybe even directing or acting again). Furthermore, I will continue to serve on the Keizer Heritage Foundation Board and the Salem/Eugene BYU Alumni Association board. I will continue to stay active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of my involvement there will send me out into the community working with some of the local service providers for the homeless. There is always plenty to do!
KT: What was the biggest challenge to serving on the council?
LR: The Council works best when we work as a team. There have been times where that definitely hasn’t happened. City Council positions are supposed to be non-partisan, and far too much partisanism has snuck in lately. A team doesn’t always need to agree, but they should not undermine each other. We need to have open lines of communication, both with each other and with the staff. I hate to see anyone belittled, attacked, or ignored as we try to make our little corner of the world better.
KT: What would you like to see Keizer accomplish in the next few years?
LR: I would like to see us continue to be at the forefront of regional challenges by being at the table to make decisions and by representing Keizer as a leader. We need to support the efforts of our fellow jurisdictions and understand that we are all better when we all succeed. I would like to see us reach out to ALL communities within Keizer so that everyone feels informed and included. I love that there is a growth mindset among the staff and that they are always looking for ways to serve Keizer more effectively, whether that is continuing to improve our website, enacting best practices in our various departments, or creatively solving problems. I would like to see the Council work together as a team to make Keizer the best it can be.
