Campaign Announcement 2020

I am a candidate on the November 2020 ballot for a position on City Council in the City of Hood River.  Some will remember the 2018 campaign and the issues I was concerned about then – those concerns, access to housing, transparency in government and a focus on sustainable development still exist.  In fact, events of 2020 have highlighted the importance of core city functions, developing a real consensus and being efficient and focused on getting those things right.

Since 2018, I have remained engaged in local issues.  I was involved in the successful Measure 14-67 campaign to protect parks.  The initiative was necessary because city leaders persisted in pursuing a controversial policy that was unpopular with residents.

In addition to canvassing to place 14-67 on the ballot, I also co-organized the collection of the nearly one thousand signatures necessary to protect our parks.  The measure passed by a 72-28 percent margin.  The result is that now, before a city park can be sold, we all get to vote on it – this is true democracy.

I am also a founding member of the non-profit group Engage the Gorge (Engage).  This is our mission statement –

Our mission is to encourage transparency in local government and help citizens engage their local leaders with complete information; improving confidence in government, and helping decision-makers govern more effectively.

Engage is a new group – we are all volunteer, and we are registered as a 501(c)(4).  It is after discussion with other board members and encouragement from involved citizens that I seek public office.

As Engage has experimented with social media and other methods of public discussion and sharing of information, my part has been to develop content for the website and the Engage the Gorge blog.  There you can find information about issues that are important to Hood River.  Some of those blog posts are tagged with my name.  If you would like some insight regarding my point-of-view on a variety of topics you can find it there.

I think that our city would benefit from a renewed devotion and focus on results (not simply words) related to housing and smart development (including parks).  I look forward to discussions regarding public safety, policing and how we will keep businesses and public spaces open while living with COVID-19.

Discussion and debate are healthy, and consideration of multiple points-of-view is necessary. If you would like an alternative to the reactive and emotional decision making that has been a feature of the current City Council, I would be honored to have your vote.

Brian Towey