Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020
Page A-3
In Cave Junction, the race for mayor is a contentious one
Shaun Hall
the Daily Courier
Things are a bit testy this
year in the race for mayor of Cave
Junction.
The incumbent, Meadow
Martell, says the city is functioning
well and that criticism from her
opponent is unjust.
“It’s running smoothly,
contrary to some of the things
that are being said,” Martell
said Thursday during an online
candidates forum, and later in an
interview.
This year’s mayoral race
is like no other that Martell has
experienced during her 28 years in
the Illinois Valley.
“I’ve never seen one as
contentious” she said. “It’s not a lot
of fun.”
Martell, 72, is a state-
contracted recruiter of health care
providers. She plans on retiring
from that work in February. She
took office last year after beating
former Mayor Tony Paulson with
51% of the vote in 2018. The term
of office is two years.
Martell is opposed by political
newcomer Christopher Hall, 52, a
hemp seed farmer who moved to the
Valley eight years ago. He says city
government is due for a change.
“For many years, the status
quo in town has been to pretty much
keep things the same,” Hall said.
“The forces of inertia are pretty
great. This would be fine if things
were OK, but they’re not.”
Hall characterizes himself
as “an outsider who is mercilessly
attacked by the insiders.” He
urges voters to also elect council
candidates Jason Gill and Joel
Dierkes, so the three of them could
“form a team who will work for
you.” That would give them control
of the council, which has four
members, plus the mayor.
Gill and Dierkes didn’t attend
Thursday’s forum, for reasons
that weren’t explained. Gill, who
owns Aquasource, a water supply
business, is challenging incumbent
Tina Casey Jones, a freelance
writer. Dierkes, who owns True
Value Hardware in Cave Junction, is
opposing Jesse Dugas, owner of JPS
Computers, for an open seat on the
council.
Martell is former executive
director of Siskiyou Community
Health Center and is a founding
member of the Illinois Valley
Community Development
Organization, which hosted the
forum along with the Illinois Valley
News.
Hall helped found the Cave
Junction Farmers’ Market and
is treasurer of the Illinois Valley
Chamber of Commerce. He lists
his occupational background
as homesteader and equipment
operator.
There’s been past friction
between Hall and the council,
which voted last year to move the
farmers’ market from a parking area
at Jubilee Park to make it safer for
pedestrians, but Hall complained
that the new location was a muddy
area of the park disliked by vendors.
In addition, Hall sued City Hall
this summer to get his name on the
ballot, after initially being refused
because his voter registration —
used to determine a person’s address
— showed his old address outside
of the city. He hadn’t updated his
driver’s license. After he provided
an affidavit from his landlord, the
city’s attorney advised the city to
allow his name to go on the ballot.
If elected, Hall said he would
push to create advisory committees
to review the city budget, city
charter and various plans,
including transportation, parks
and comprehensive plans. He also
said he would push to create a city
manager position, revise the city’s
staffing structure, and allow current
employees to apply for newly
created positions.
In contrast, Martell said the
city’s staff works well together and
that the “the city is easy to work
with.”
“I think we are doing well,”
she said. “We will continue to do
well. Now is not the time to make
the drastic changes Mr. Hall has
outlined.”
One of Martell’s chief goals is
to revitalize downtown with the help
of the Main Street America program,
which assists communities to revive
older and historic commercial
districts by providing technical and
financial assistance. The city has
been accepted as a program client,
in the exploratory stage.
SEE MAYOR ON A-5
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