A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Eagle
LOCAL ELECTION GUIDE
JOHN DAY CITY COUNCIL
(Vote for three)
O
n Sept. 30, the Blue Moun-
tain Eagle sent each candi-
date in a contested race in
the November election a certifi ed
letter with identical instructions
and questions to answer for free
publication in this edition.
The candidates were informed
of the deadline. Not all candidates
responded.
The following are the answers
received to these questions:
1. Please describe the offi ce for
which you are running and its im-
portance. (50 words or less)
2. Why are you running for this
offi ce? (50 words or less)
3. What is your background,
and what qualifi cations and ex-
perience would you bring to this
offi ce? (200 words or less)
4. What issues would you like
to address, and how would you do
so? (200 words or less)
SHERIFF
TODD MCKINLEY
1. I am running for the Offi ce
of Sheriff, the highest elected of-
fi ce in the county. This position
is one of trust, truth, ethics, and
law, and can steer the course of
the people it represents by lead-
ing them forward, and being an
example.
2. I am seeking this Offi ce, af-
ter observing the sheer audacity of
individuals that think they can dic-
tate the course of Grant County,
without the input of all. I love my
country, my county and my rights.
I cannot sit idly by and watch
what we have accomplished be
destroyed.
3. I have worked and volun-
teered in Emergency Services in
Grant County for twenty seven
years, with over fifteen years of
that time spent employed with
the Grant County Sheriff Office.
I started my work with the Sher-
iff Office as a Reserve Deputy
in April of 2000, and then was
hired full time in April of 2001
as the School Resource Officer.
I worked my way up through the
ranks, serving as a Patrol Depu-
ty, and then in 2008, I was pro-
moted to Undersheriff. During
my time with the Office, I have
dealt with multiple significant
events and cases. I have in ex-
cess of 1200 hours of document-
ed law enforcement training and
have obtained multiple hours
of fire, hazmat and extrication
training as well. That said I feel
my upbringing here, the count-
less hours and miles spent on
the back of a horse, raising cat-
tle, hay, and dealing with forest
permits, have given me a much
deeper understanding of what
Grant County is about, and the
struggles it faces. My years
working for O’Rorke Logging,
and Prairie Wood Products gave
me great insight into the timber
industry. I have been truly bless-
ed to live here and call this my
home.
4. If given the opportunity to
serve as your Sheriff, I would
bring the focus back to the gen-
eral duties of Sheriff, being
the conservator of the peace of
Grant County. I would seek out
those who disrupt our peace, and
see that they be brought to jus-
tice. I will defend Grant Coun-
ty, as I have, and continue to do
so, against those who, by riot or
otherwise, endanger the public
peace or safety. I will work to
communicate with other agen-
cies, regardless of our differenc-
es, and keep our lines of commu-
nications open. I will mend some
broken fences as I believe we as
a County, have more than a few.
This does not mean giving in to
some other’s wishes, but work-
ing together for the common
good. I see a drug issue in our
County, and would like to see
more effort put toward curbing
this problem. I think that work-
ing closely with other agencies
can help bring about change in
this area. I want to bring pride
back to residents, by making
good, sound decisions, that are
not a gray area, but concise,
that will make us once again
proud to call Grant County our
home.
Incumbent Sheriff GLENN E.
PALMER did not submit answers
to the questions.
RICHIE COLBETH
1. I’m running for John Day
City Council. Society must have
a system of rules administered
by a government hopefully of the
people, by the people and for the
people. Often there are differenc-
es of opinion or misunderstand-
ings needing clarifi cation between
government and its’ citizens; that’s
why city councils are important.
2. I’m running for city council
not only for my ability, but for my
availability. My wife and I love
our restaurants and eat out a lot.
Few people know who or where
their city representatives are; well,
I’m user friendly, if you see me
come sit down and let’s chat.
3. I’m a retired Air Force NCO.
I worked under pressure and got
things done right the fi rst time.
Many John Day residents have
some connection with the mili-
tary. I dealt in benefi ts for depen-
dents, survivors and veterans and
I fought to see that eligible people
got what they deserved. I was a
Middle School PTA President, a
school bus driver / trainer and la-
bor union representative; I was on
the John Day Budget Committee.
After 9/11 I was a Security Screen-
er at PDX; I quickly learned when
to help frustrated passengers with
their carry-on luggage and when
to call for help. My wife, Sandy, is
a Grant Union graduate. And be-
cause of my varied volunteer ac-
tivities these past 10 years, I know
many people in John Day and
they know me. I’ve worked Jane’s
Grant County Historical Museum,
Hospice, Tobe & Gary’s Ranch &
Rodeo Museum. I’ve got a radio
program on KJDY Sunday morn-
ings. I worked Tammy’s Cham-
ber of Commerce and was on
Veanne’s Senior Citizen Advisory
Council. I’m a life member of the
VFW and have worked closely
with Commander Gregg Starr. I’m
a paralegal and am cognizant of
issues, rules, analysis and reach-
ing conclusions in the discipline.
4. I have appeared twice before
the Council: the Senior Center and
County Court say the Pledge of
Allegiance and a local pastor says
a brief non-sectarian prayer before
deliberations; I asked the council
to resume doing this as they did
at one time but they rejected both
my requests. However if I could
change anything, it would be the
way decisions are reached. The
mayors, Bob Quinton and Ron
Ludbom, in both cases ran with
the ball and the councilors pretty
much just sat there. I would like to
see the council run in a democrat-
ic format where each councilor
weighs in with his or her opinion
on the issues and majority rules.
In case of a tie, only then would
the mayor break the silence; actu-
ally, I think that’s the way it’s sup-
posed to be done; I also think new
business on the agenda should
be addressed fi rst and not stuck
on the end an hour and a half af-
ter the meeting is started as mine
was. But I am not running for City
Council to address my issues, but
to be there for any John Day cit-
izen with their issues and to treat
them with respect.
DAVID HOLLAND
1. This is a public offi ce posi-
tion that represents the Citizens of
John Day. The City Councilor re-
sponsibility addresses the needs of
the community to ensure that we
meet our current and future eco-
nomic, sustainability and livabili-
ty needs and requirements.
2. As a resident of John Day,
I’ve invested over 35 years of my
life both as a citizen and past em-
ployee of the City of John Day. I
would like to continue my efforts
in maintaining and building this
community as a wonderful place
to live and raise a family.
3. As a past Public Works Di-
rector for the City of John Day, I
have extensive knowledge of the
current status and future require-
ments of our water and wastewater
systems, road system and capital
improvement projects. Over the
course of my employment tenure
with the City of John Day, I have
worked closely with City manage-
ment during the budget process on
developing balanced budgets, city
operations and services, improve-
ments planning and assets man-
agement. I understand the role and
procedures of the City Council as
a governing body working with
City management, and for many
years I’ve attended City Council
meetings working with the Coun-
cil on building a sustainable com-
munity foundation and quality of
life for the citizens of John Day.
4. Although I believe our base
water, waste water, roads, and
capital improvement systems are
critically important for the com-
munity for a sustainable future and
quality of life, I believe it is the
responsibility of the City Council
to address and prioritize all issues
in front of the City and keep our
community moving progressively
and responsibly. With the experi-
ence I have with the City of John
Day and its operations, I believe
I could use those qualifi cations
not only to listen and address all
issues as they arise, but contribute
to solutions that would be ground-
ed in reason and fi scally sound.
As a John Day City Council we
need to ensure that we are meet-
ing community needs while pro-
gressively planning to meet the
present and future requirements
for our future generations to enjoy
economic growth, sustainability,
and a great quality of life.
Candidate CHRIS B. LABHART
did not submit answers to the ques-
tions.
STEVE SCHUETTE
1. I am running for re-election
to the John Day City Council. The
Council works with the City Man-
ager in making decisions that af-
fect the quality of life for city res-
idents and the future growth and
progress of the city.
2. The city faces ongoing is-
sues with infrastructure such as
street maintenance and an aging
sewer system, all challenged by
a limited budget. I would like the
chance to continue working with
the City Manager and Council to
fi nd innovative ways to problem
solve and keep the city moving
forward.
3. I have lived in John Day
since 1985, and retired from a 29
year career with the Oregon State
Police in 2003. In my career I
dealt with diffi cult situations and
people of many different opin-
ions, learning to take all sides into
consideration in order to make
the best decisions. This approach
has served me well during my
three terms as a councilor. I have
been elected as Council President
for the last two terms, which in-
cludes conducting Council meet-
ings when the Mayor is absent.
I serve on both the Council Ad-
ministrative and Safety Commit-
tee. I have a good understanding
of the City budget, and how the
process works. As a councilor for
the past 11 + years, I understand
that worthwhile projects can be
a slow process with unforeseen
problems to solve along the way.
The recently completed fi re hall is
a good example.
4. The Council needs to be as
prepared as possible to handle the
logistics of possibly thousands of
people coming to the John Day
area for the solar eclipse in Au-
gust of 2017. To ensure a positive
outcome, we need to continue to
work closely with the Chamber
of Commerce, the County Court,
other city governments in the
County, civic organizations and
law enforcement. The current
sewer system and infrastructure
is long past it’s projected lifespan.
Rather than a continued piecemeal
band-aid approach, I would like to
continue to pursue the possibility
of a modern, effi cient hydroponic
sewer plant system. I am proud
of the grants obtained used to up-
grade and install new sidewalks
and streetlights. With additional
grant money in hand, I look ahead
to the completion of this project
from 2nd St. to Grant Union High
School. As a Council member I
am committed to promoting our
Industrial Park by exploring all
available opportunities for new
industry, including the feasibility
of a fi ber optic network for both
the Industrial Park and the city
of John Day. I would like the op-
portunity to continue working to
make the city of John Day the best
that it can be.
DON WILLEY
1. I am a running as a candi-
date for the John Day City Coun-
cil. The city council is important
because it exercises authority
over the administrative affairs of
the city, ie; carrying out city busi-
ness, protecting the welfare of the
city and its inhabitants, providing
community leadership, etc.
2. Serving on the John Day
City Council is how I can repre-
sent and serve the citizens of John
Day. It’s a way I can give the cit-
izens of John Day a voice at the
city’s governing table.
3. I was born and raised in
John Day and I’ve raise my four
children here. My wife and I have
been married 44 years. I graduated
from Grant Union High School. I
have lived and worked here all but
three years of my life.
I have served as a John Day
City Councilor for the last 8 years.
I bring that experience to the
council.
Another qualifi cation, and I be-
lieve it to be of fi rst importance, is
that I am committed to, and love
this city.
Some experiences that I be-
lieve qualify me for the position
of city councilor: I have worked
in saw mills, worked as a janitor,
I’ve driven freight truck, worked
as an auto mechanic, I worked 33
years as a manager of a local FM
radio station.
My list isn’t complete, but its
just to say I’m one of you. I’ve
been where you’ve been. I can
relate to you, the citizens of John
Day.
4. There are many issues before
the city council in addition to the
day to day operations of the city.
Some of the more long term
issues that are before the city are
public safety, economic devel-
opment, 9-1-1 emergency com-
munications funding, capital and
infrastructure improvements, and
the continued development of
the industrial park. One big issue
looming over us is the need of a
new wastewater treatment facility,
which at some point the DEQ will
require the city to build.
The city council does not work
in a vacuum nor do individu-
al councilors work outside the
whole council. It takes creativity
and team work, when it comes to
addressing these issues. You the
citizens of John Day, the whole
city council and the city manager,
must work together; it takes all of
us to come up with any real solu-
tions to these issues.
So how would I address these
issues? I would encourage you to
get involved, I would not be a “yes
man” but a team player, bringing
my ideas and yours to the conver-
sation but ultimately relying on
the whole council and city man-
ager to address and resolve these
issues as a team.
CANYON CITY
CITY COUNCIL
(Vote for two)
RUSS COMER
1. I am running for a city coun-
cil position for the city of Canyon
City. I believe that city councilors
play an important role in local
government and are in a unique
position to create position change
in their community.
2. My interest in running for
the position of city councilor
stems from my strong sense of
community and the belief that I
can truly represent the needs of
the citizens of Canyon City by
continuing to build a strong and
healthy community.
3. I have been a resident of
Grant County for 24 years and
resided in Canyon City for the
past 21 years. I am the Execu-
tive Director of the Grant Coun-
ty Safe Communities Coalition
and am a small business owner.
I work to stay connected to our
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
community by being an active
community member; I am an
appointed member of the Local
Community Advisory Council to
our county’s Coordinated Care
Organization, a board member of
Families First Parent Resource
Center and a founding member
of the Coalition of Certifi ed Pre-
vention Professionals. Through
my years of working in the service
and professional industries as well
as my volunteerism, I have a deep
understanding of our community’s
needs.
4. If elected, I’d like to con-
tinue working towards fostering
healthy relationships with neigh-
boring towns and our county gov-
ernment. I’d also strive to develop
an updated strategic plan for Can-
yon City. I believe it’s important
for the City to have realistic and
achievable goals that refl ects the
needs of the citizens and continues
to move the City in a positive and
prosperous direction.
NATHAN GORDANIER
1. I will be running for a po-
sition on the Canyon City, City
Council. This position is import-
ant because it is an opportunity
to build a bridge between the city
and its’ residents.
2. I fi rst considered running for
this position because I have been
asked by members of the commu-
nity. I feel that I will be able to
help increase community involve-
ment and city policies.
3. Though I may lack political
background, I have twelve years
of management experience, in a
variety of businesses. I am also
a volunteer on the Canyon City
Fire Department, and on the Grant
County Search and Rescue. Over
the last fi ve years I have been a part
of numerous community events.
A few of these events include: 62
Days, Canyon City Challenge, and
the Canyon City Haunted House. I
plan on bringing the experience I
have gained through business man-
agement into this position.
4. There are a few things I
would like to address if I obtain
this position. One is the recent
lack of involvement of the city in
community events. Another issue
that I take seriously is that the Can-
yon City Park is not a tobacco free
park. That is one thing I would like
to work to change. Something I
would also like to see is a Farmer’s
Market in this community.
JUDY KERR
(No photo submitted)
1. I am running for the position
of Canyon City Council member.
This position requires keeping cur-
rent and aware of the needs and
interests of Canyon City residents.
As a 26-year resident of Canyon
City, I understand the importance
of representing and supporting cit-
izens’ concerns to the best of my
ability in Council meetings.
2. I am running for this position
because I believe I can contribute
support and information that may be
benefi cial to the City of Canyon City.
3. My most recent background
and experience is centered in cur-
rent appointments to the Canyon
City Planning Commission; Can-
yon City Budget Committee; Grant
County Road Advisory Board, and
Grant County Wildlife Advisory
Board. My career experience was
predominantly clerical, Public Af-
fairs secretary, branch lead secre-
tary, civil engineering, road design,
contract and document writing,
and administering construction
contracts while employed by sev-
eral government agencies through-
out the United States.
4. I would like to see the Canyon
City Council involvement extend
beyond city physical boundaries
where County or other city activi-
ties could provide information and
a wider scope of understanding of
various community interests. At-
tending Grant County Court meet-
ings has provided me with a wider
view of situations affecting our
rural communities. I would bring
this knowledge to the City Council.
Dependency on John Day for util-
ity services would be better served
by attending John Day city meet-
ings to keep current on plans or
proposals that affect Canyon City.
Canyon City Council should use
the opportunity to provide input on
all matters that affect local commu-
nities and County government.
See ELECTION, Page A11