Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • may 4, 2016
District 23: Candidates sound off at debate
continued from Page 1A
She added people should
keep in mind that farmers are
competing in a regional, na-
tional and global scale. That
makes cost increases like sick
leave and higher wages a
competitive disadvantage.
“They can’t adjust rates
and stay competitive,” she
said. “We have to protect our
farmers by keeping legisla-
tion like that from happen-
ing.”
Nearman said local farm-
ers don’t need more regula-
tion — and he believes more
is coming on pesticides —
because of the unique rela-
tionships they have with
each other.
“This is a culture where
they talk to each other and
they work things out by
themselves,” he said. “That’s
a great thing.”
He added he’s trying to
keep property taxes low and
protect small businesses from
higher labor costs.
“Small businesses don’t
really need that much from
government,” Nearman
said. “They just need to be
left alone and they will flour-
ish on their own.”
As to the minimum wage,
Jones and Nearman don’t
see that issue in the same
light either. They both op-
pose it, but now that it has
passed, Nearman isn’t cer-
tain legal challenges to it or
efforts to repeal it will be
successful.
He added even if one of
those strategies worked, the
issue would return with a
ballot measure eventually,
probably seeking $15 per
hour across the board.
“There’s not much we can
do from the state legisla-
ture,” he said.
Nearman found a silver
lining in what he considers a
bad policy, noting that gov-
ernment employees will
now be more expensive so
there will be fewer of them.
Jones hopes to see a
change in the balance of the
legislature and would be the
first in line to repeal the bill.
“That would be my
choice,” she said. “Get rid of
it. It hurts everybody and
I’m sorry that this went
through. I’m sorry that we
have leaders that see this as
a solution to anything.”
Jones and Nearman both
are strong advocates for ed-
ucation reform, but come
from different perspectives.
Nearman believes school
choice benefits families and
holds schools accountable.
“That’s the best thing that
we can do to give parents
and students the ability to
put their kids in whatever
school they want,” he said.
Jones likes school choice,
but doesn’t see that alone
improving Oregon low grad-
uation rates, which rank
near the bottom nationally.
She prefers having students
take fewer assessments and
Beth Jones
Age: 39.
Hometown: Dallas.
Position sought: State
representative of House
District 23.
Employment: Founder
and Di-
rector of
Bambi-
nos, non-
profit.
Educa-
tion: Cor-
ban Uni-
versity;
Bachelor
Jones
of Science
in psychol-
ogy/family studies.
Prior government serv-
ice:
• Dallas City Council:
2011-2014, including the
following committees:
Budget, Economic Develop-
ment, Public Safety, Public
allowing teachers more free-
dom in selecting curriculum.
“Let the teachers do what
Works, Administration,
Building and Grounds,
Urban renewal.
• Polk County Commis-
sion for Children and Fami-
lies Board member:
2011/12.
• Oregon Army national
Guard Family readiness
Group leader: 2011/12,
2014/15.
• Dallas Area Chamber of
Commerce Public Policy
Committee: 2015-present.
• Senate District 12 vol-
unteer during the 2015/16
legislative sessions.
campaign website:
www.BethJonesHD23.com.
Campaign phone: 503-
508-6043.
Source: Beth Jones.
Mike Nearman
Position sought: State
representative of House
District 23.
Employment: State repre-
they were trained to do,” she
said. “It will make them more
excited about teaching. It will
sentative; software engineer.
Prior
govern-
ment ex-
perience:
State rep-
resenta-
tive; Cen-
t r a l
School
District
Nearman B u d g e t
Committee.
campaign website:
http://www.nearman4ore-
gon.org/.
Source: Oregon Primary
Election Voters’ Pamphlet.
Editor’s note: Nearman did
not return an election ques-
tionnaire by deadline. The
questionnaire was sent via
email to his campaign website
twice, on April 27 and Sunday
and two messages were left at
his legislative office requesting
its return.
make the kids more excited
about learning and the grad-
uation rate will be higher.”
Wheeler, Taylor vie for Polk County commissioner
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — In-
cumbent Polk County Com-
missioner Jennifer Wheeler
believes she has more work
to do in the office she has
held for five years.
Her opponent, Terrence
Taylor, said she’s made mis-
takes in office and would
like to use decades of experi-
ence in private industry to
correct them.
Voters will choose which
direction they prefer when
they vote for Polk County
Commissioner Position No.
1 in the May primary.
Recently the county has
started a number of initia-
tives to help people with
mental health issues avoid
being ensnared in the crimi-
nal justice system, assist
people experiencing home-
Jennifer Wheeler
Age: 62.
Hometown: Independence.
Position sought: Polk County Board of
Commissioners, position no. 1.
District boundaries: Polk County (coun-
ty-wide office).
Education: Central
High School; bachelor’s
degree in criminal justice
from Western Oregon
State College (now
WOU).
Occupation: Polk
County Commissioner.
Prior government ex-
Wheeler
perience: Polk County
Commissioner, appointed in 2011 to the
present.
campaign website: www.jenniferwheel-
erforcommissioner.com.
campaign phone: 503-838-3678.
lessness and youth who are
in the juvenile justice sys-
tem.
“If you can take one per-
son and keep that one per-
PUBLIC NOTICE
The West Valley Housing Authority (WVHA) is hereby inviting
the public to review and/or provide comment on our Public
Housing Annual Plan and Capital Fund Plans. Copies of the
proposed plans will be available for review as of May 4, 2016
and can be obtained from our website at www.wvpha.org or
any of the WVHA's offices (main office address listed below).
Comments will be received up through the public comment re-
view hearing to take place on June 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at
204 SW Walnut Ave., Dallas, OR 97338. Written comments on
the plan may be mailed to the attention of Executive Director,
West Valley Housing Authority, 204 SW Walnut Ave., Dallas, OR
97338 or emailed to wvpha@wvpha.org.
The meeting location is wheel-chair accessible. Call (503) 623-
8387 during business hours if other accommodations are re-
quired.
(May 4, 2016)
terrence taylor
Age: 65.
Hometown: West Salem.
Position sought: Position no. 1.
District boundaries: Polk County.
Education: Computer science ECPI, a Cal-
ifornia trade school; Bach-
elor of Science in busi-
ness management from
Concordia University.
Prior government ex-
perience: ran for House
District 20 and served on
the Stockton School Dis-
trict Board.
Occupation: computer
taylor
software developer; proj-
ect manager for programs for national and
international companies in technology and
bio-medical industries.
campaign website: taylor4polk.com.
campaign phone: 971-208-8856.
son from cycling through the
criminal justice system and
get that person the help they
need, it’s a win-win,” Wheeler
said. “The person is produc-
tive and the criminal justice
system saves money because
they are not dealing with be-
havioral health issues.”
Wheeler, who is involved
in each of those initiatives, is
hopeful those programs will
have a positive impact on
the people and agencies in-
volved. A county veterans’
service officer is on the way,
too, given formal budget ap-
proval in June.
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She wants to stick around
to see those program
through.
“They are just getting
started and I’m not done
yet,” she said. “I want to see
where those things go.”
Taylor said decisions the
Board of Commissioners
have made will have the op-
posite effect on the county.
The biggest mistake in his
opinion was allowing mari-
juana production and sales
without sending a ban pro-
posal to the voters.
He said Polk County voted
52.5 percent against legaliz-
ing marijuana. The commis-
sioners should have heeded
that fact before implement-
ing Measure 91 — the bill le-
galizing marijuana — in the
unincorporated areas of the
county, he said.
Wheeler, along with Com-
missioner Craig Pope, voted
to move forward, while
Commission Mike
Ainsworth opposed it.
“I think that putting com-
mercial growing facilities in
the county is a huge mis-
take,” Taylor said, adding
dispensary sales being al-
lowed in Grand Ronde also
was a mistake. “I don’t be-
lieve that she’s made a deci-
sion that is helpful for Polk
County on this issue.”
Taylor said he’s read dis-
heartening reports from
Colorado, which has had
legal marijuana for two
years, and fears Polk County
may be headed in that direc-
tion.
He said that hampers an-
other effort he believes is
necessary to bring economic
development to the county:
branding.
He said the county needs
to find its identity, preferably
a family friendly one, and
use it to market itself.
“We need to have a family
friendly and taxpayer friend-
ly county in order to attract
additional companies to
come here,” he said. “Com-
panies aren’t going to move
here if it isn’t family friend-
ly.”
Wheeler said economic
development depends on
the county providing basic
services and infrastructure
and establishing productive
partnerships with cities and
organizations. She said busi-
nesses looking to move to
Polk County will check out
the public safety system,
school systems, and basic
infrastructure.
She said the county has
one of the best maintained
road systems in the state,
and law enforcement has
been bolstered by a levy for
public safety.
For more about Wheeler
and Taylor’s views on eco-
nomic development and
dealing with the impending
Public Employees Retire-
ment System rate hikes in
2017, see the May 11 edition
of the I-O.
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