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community
april16
2020
Columbia County Commissioner Candidates –
Answers to Questionnaire for May 19 Election
plans and expectations may have to be
adjusted, however.
Tardif: The county’s investment in
technology and system improvements is
positive. Prior to taking office the county
was operating on obsolete and outdated
technology. I led an effort to improve
technology, allowing departments to
better interact with the community and
work more efficiently. The roads depart-
ment is doing amazing! After reviewing
the budget, and identifying the amount of
money the county spent on buying rock,
I encouraged the Public Works director
to look at crushing rock in our own pit.
This move allowed the county to have
twice as much rock for the same price.
The roads department has also realigned
its organization to create efficiency and
produce more work. They have created a
5 year plan and are prioritizing the worst
roads in the county for maintenance and
updates. The county has created a finan-
cial plan. When coupled with community
input and the ongoing work of the strate-
gic plan, the county will be positioned to
create a path forward for a strong finan-
cially stable future that meets the com-
munity’s needs. I’m proud of the work
we’ve done to enhance our parks system
and I look forward to working with com-
munity partners and residents to create
more recreational areas.
Garrett: Columbia County is a great
place and ready to become even better.
We have vast natural resources, amazing
outdoor spaces, people that take pride in
living here, and huge potential for eco-
nomic growth. We can enjoy Portland
Metro from a distance, but have our own
identity and can form our own destiny.
Columbia County has: over
a quarter million acres of sustainable
timber lands; vast aggregate resources;
hundreds of miles of rivers and streams,
thousands of acres of parks and public
lands with lots of room to create new
recreational opportunities; a growing
workforce who’d rather work here in-
stead of elsewhere; numerous opportuni-
ties to bring in industry and increase our
tax base; great people and great history.
From a county administrative
Vernonia’s Voice is published
twice each month on the 1 st
and 3 rd Thursday. Look for our
next issue on May 7.
and operational perspective, we are at a
pivotal moment. Many of our long-term
directors and managers have recently re-
tired, or are soon to. Columbia County
is an attractive place to move to, which
makes us more competitive in recruiting
a talented workforce. The stage is set for
us to hire smart, improve how we oper-
ate, and make our county a better place
to live, work and visit.
3. What are some specific issues or
concerns you would like to try to ad-
dress if you are elected and what
would you try to do.
Position 1
Stockwell: One of the biggest areas of
concern for Columbia County is the loss
of large employers (Trojan, Armstrong,
Boise, just to name a few). All of these
together put a great strain on the once
employed who now travel to other cit-
ies for work making us a bedroom com-
munity. This has created a tax burden in
the county. Residents can not afford the
taxes that are required for the services
provided by the county agencies. No one
wants new taxes, but if we don’t bring
businesses back to the community, and
family wages, we will shelter the burden
of taxes on the individuals through high-
er property taxes, higher utilities etc.,
which is not acceptable.
I believe that the county needs
to operate within its budget. One of the
problems are the salaries of the com-
missioners. These positions should not
be earning double what most tax payers
earn. Our Commissioners salaries are
not in check with those from other coun-
ties in Oregon, for similar sized (popula-
tion) counties. Bringing salaries in line
along with adjusting administrative po-
sitions will help get the county on track,
expanding departments and employment
where possible and reducing overhead.
I have several ideas I would like
to see implemented, including a Sports
Complex. This would be extremely ben-
eficial for the youth of Columbia County,
bring many visitors, along with revenue
spent in the county and dollars through
team events too.
Magruder: Columbia County has an
extremely high percentage of residents
who must commute outside the county
to their jobs, robbing us of the commu-
nity involvement of active, healthy fami-
lies. I am dedicated to expanding exist-
ing businesses and to bringing in new
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enterprises to provide the jobs we need
and the tax revenue that runs our county.
During the last year there has
been a nationwide effort to expand in-
ternet connection to every region. The
National Association of Counties devel-
oped the TestIT app which evaluates in-
ternet connection speed. This data will
provide a specific and detailed picture
of the areas lacking in broadband con-
nection, and will highlight the need for
federal and state funding to address it.
We can see, in the current pandemic, the
need for better connections for students
to engage in online learning and for job-
holders to work efficiently from home.
While we remain rooted in our
natural resource base, Columbia Coun-
ty is changing and growing in exciting
ways with new families, fresh ideas,
exciting businesses. With that growth
comes complex problems. Every day I
bring my experience and commitment to
solve the issues that impact the livability
of our County: jobs, safety, transporta-
tion, and the environment.
Dudzic: What I offer first is my unwav-
ering belief that we are only as strong
as a community as the most vulnerable
among us. Unless our leaders embrace
this truth, we will not find sustainable
solutions no matter what our strategic
plans are. If elected, I will:
• Lead for the next generation and be-
yond. I believe in our children and the
development of a sustainable economy
for our future.
• Protect the environment to keep
Columbia County livable and competi-
tive. We need to invest in a future that
provides local jobs and saves taxpay-
ers money, which can be accomplished
by committing to an energy plan that
increases the energy efficiency of our
buildings.
• Find solutions to our housing crisis.
Chronic homelessness and lack of af-
fordable housing are separate issues.
• Leverage tourism and recreation op-
portunities in Columbia County to gen-
erate revenue and create jobs.
• Earn your trust by promoting trans-
parency and access to local government.
I commit to making my work calendar
public and alternating locations of com-
missioner board meetings. It is inequi-
table to conduct them only in St. Helens
and is exclusionary to residents who live
in all areas of the county and lack trans-
portation.
Mayo: I would work to add a $.45/ton
depletion fee to the 12,000 ton of gravel
leaving the county for Portland daily. I
would earmark the extra $2 million to
be used only for roads, bridges, culverts,
curbs and sidewalks. It would be shared
with the towns in the county based on
the square footage (or lineal footage, I
haven’t decided which is best) plus a
multiplier for footage or size of bridges
each manage. The county alone main-
tains over 500 miles of road getting near
best 17 miles of repaving a year. This
would add a tremendous boost to road
maintenance and free up general funds
for other pressing costs.
2 nd , I would like to see the com-
missioners go to part time and hire an
educated, experienced manager to over-
see and direct the county. Local elected
commissioners don’t come to a multi-
department, multi source funded, $50+
million dollar operation with that kind of
background.
3 rd , The commissioners have
the money formatted properly to pay
off the Columbia County Development
Agency, a line item on your property
taxes, right now. If elected I will see this
get done immediately and I will write
about it.
Position 3
Correll: One thing I plan to highlight
is senior citizens and our shared interest
+ challenges. I would like to see a sys-
tem implemented where seniors would
not have to pay 100% of their property
taxes. This would allow seniors to have
more of an open mind when voting for a
bond measure or tax for special districts,
which would be of benefit to us all. I am
committed to finding a funding source
for Columbia County Rider so this valu-
able resource may continue to operate in
an efficient and affordable way. In view
of our present pandemic situation, I will
do all in my power to make sure we are
prepared for whatever disaster or emer-
gency we are facing in the future. I do
not support top-down politics especially
at the local level. My highest priority
will be to listen to YOU, the constituents
of the county and collaborate to make a
bright future for us all. We can be better
together in this county.
Tardif: I will continue the work that we
started to bring innovative family wage
jobs to our community. I am concerned
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Vernonia 
Dental
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