EVERY VOTE COUNTS NOW!

 

DEAR PHILOMATH

EVERY VOTE COUNTS NOW MORE THAN ANY TIME IN THE PAST!

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Philomath and the status quo have not worked !

STATUS QUO with the incumbents

vs.

NEWCOMERS seeking office

INCUMBENTS seeking office and appear quite satisfied with the status quo: 
City Councilors: Ruth Causey, Matt Lehman, David Low, Matthew Thomas.
Mayor Candidate: Doug Edmonds.

NEWCOMERS seeking office and appear not satisfied with the status quo: 
City Councilor Candidates:  Jessica Andrade, Catherine Biscoe, Lawrence E. Johnson,
Jason Richards, Thomas Sullivan.
Mayor Candidate:  Chas Jones (current City Councilor)

What is the Status Quo?  Let’s examine the record of the past and current City Council

• A decades long system that avoids the recognition of Goal 1 required Citizens Advisory Panel

• A belief that there is enough water for current and planned development

• Allowing for fire hydrants to have less than State mandated minimum water pressure for fire suppression at locations within the Cit

• Approving excess housing development with an insufficient development process

• Failing to allocate budget reserves to fund an estimated $14 million Water Treatment Plant 

which will now be levied against the taxpayers of Philomath

• Approving development applications that will increase housing by almost 600 new homes and apartments

• Approving a 167-space RV park for transient RVs who will probably not be residents, but will put immense pressure on a limited road, water and wastewater City infrastructure

• Increasing the budget and salary spending year after year without increasing savings sufficiently for needed infrastructure costs

• Continuing to increase water and sewer rates, putting Philomath in the top range of Benton County utility rates

• Continuing to increase tax rates which keep Philomath at the highest tax rate of any comparable Oregon City, and at the highest rates in Benton County

• Maintaining a closed-door policy on Citizen involvement and participation through exclusionary committees, restrictive meeting access and non-transparent governance practices.

Now Consider the priorities of the Newcomer, who like many Philomath residents are unhappy with the status quo and are advocating for change

• Recognize the importance of citizen input as allowed by Oregon’s Goal 1

• Believe in establishing an active Citizen’s Advisory Committee consisting of a representative sample of City residents, and households

• Include in every development criteria the City’s stated and established water limitations

• Review the budget with an eye to eliminating waste and excess spending

• Ensure that adequate time for citizen input is established for any proposed changes and developments by holding two separate readings through proper procedure

• Create an office of Citizen Ombudsperson who has real authority to advocate for City residents

• Proceed methodically

• Treat every dollar of taxpayer revenue with dignity and respectfully spend only as needed

• Listen to the City residents

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REMEMBER, every vote counts more now than at any time in the past.  Philomath and the status quo have not worked!

Guest writer: LAWRENCE JOHNSON