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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2020)
Nebeker: Virus biggest issue Continued from Page 1 years as a county commissioner, chair and vice chair of the board; 25 years as a Gearhart planning commissioner, chair and vice chair Why should people vote for you? I have many years of experience in a wide range of government agencies, set- ting policies in land use, pub- lic health, human services, housing, mental health, county health, staffing, budget process, justice system, and other aspects of policy making. In addition, I have run a suc- cessful small business for 45 years, and I understand the important interface of business and government. Top three issues: 1. COVID-19: Managing the ef- fects on county services. 2. COVID-19: Budgeting better May 1, 2020 T he C olumbia P ress 4 in this time of uncertainty. 3. COVID-19: Maintaining, if not increasing, transparency in how the county goes about the public’s business. How would you approach those issues? 1. I’ve been a strong supporter of our County Health Depart- ment over my years in office. We need to do even more to prepare for future challenges. We have great leadership and staff; let’s make certain they have the right tools. That means making cer- tain Clatsop County, especially the Health Department, gets its fair share of federal and state re- sources and support. 2. Each year’s county budget represents our policy choices and priorities. Over the years, our staff has won awards for their best practices in budget- ing and accounting for the pub- lic’s tax dollars. I’ve been proud of our public budget process and our professional staff that translates our board’s policies into the reality of the budget. I believe we’re well prepared to face new pandemic-driven bud- get challenges in a transparent, public process. 3. The need for our fellow cit- izens to have confidence and trust in their governments at all levels has never been greater. I can only speak to our county government, where last year, as chair of the board, I appointed, over considerable skepticism and opposition, a certified, pro- fessional parliamentarian to at- tend our board meetings. The result has been a better focus on agenda issues, clearer communication with the public and shorter, more efficient meet- ings. In short, more transparen- cy! Greater transparency leads to greater public trust. Toyooka: Housing an issue Continued from Page 1 ence. All business in Clatsop County is conducted through boards and committees. Can- didates should have experience working as part of a team, bring- ing people together toward a common goal, not a personal or party agenda. I have social skills. You don’t need to agree with everyone, but you must respect everyone. I have vision. I can imagine the enormous potential of Clat- sop County and understand the steps needed to get there. Commissioner Nebecker is not a bad person, she just sup- ports bad policy like the cap and trade law, a policy that Sen. Bet- sy Johnson calls “a notion that leaves the details behind” and a vote to opt-out of a lawsuit, which denied our county over $200 million that could have been spent on education, infra- structure and safety. I will pri- oritize infrastructure improve- ments, support better housing and child care, and allow the careful use of our natural re- sources. Top three issues: 1. Critical infrastructure defi- ciencies. 2. Too many regulations on small businesses. We must facil- itate responsible growth to cre- ate more and better job oppor- tunities for our kids. 3. Affordable housing and child care for working families. How would you approach those issues? 1. I will support emergency preparedness in Clatsop County by focusing on building critical infrastructure and making sure our first responders and brave volunteers have the necessary equipment to keep themselves and our residents safe. 2. I will represent the work- ing families of Clatsop County by looking for the best ways to support small business, increase living wages, and support family health care and education. 3. I will support affordable housing in Clatsop County by listening to working families and limiting short-term rentals that eat up the available housing inventory in our coastal commu- nities. Business tidbits a aron ’ s Closure Aaron’s furniture in the Pre- marq Center has closed per- manently, a company spokes- woman said. The decision to shutter the store was made before recent stay-at-home orders due to the pandemic. “It was for a lot of reasons,” she said. “It had been planned to shut down before COVID happened.” The company’s stores in Longview and Aberdeen, Wash., are handling accounts and questions regarding the Warrenton store’s closure.