The Tillamook County Pioneer provides our communities with our expanded election coverage – Questions for the Candidates – provides our communities an introduction to the candidates and an unbiased view to compare the candidates side-by-side on important issues. All candidates were provided with the same questions; the questions were provided by a wide variety of Tillamook County residents. If you have other “questions for the candidates” – please forward them to editor@tillamookcountypioneer.net.
MAYOR CANDIDATES:
Charles McNeilly (incumbent)
1. Give your 2-minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
I ask for your vote so I can continue the work I began in January 2023, focusing on taking control of the Jetty Creek Watershed so we have a clean abundant supply of water, short term rental management, increasing availability of mixed income housing, expansion of community engagement and communication, fiscal responsibility, and a productive and collaborative partnership with our City leadership. During my tenure as mayor, the city has had the most productive period in the history of the city. I want to continue this momentum to propel the city we love forward.
2.What d o you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
I see a City that is headed in the right direction yet there are challenging issues confronting our community.
Assuring a long-term abundant supply of clean water achieved through the purchase and stewardship of the Jetty Creek Watershed. The city has taken the initial steps in this long process, and current activities are moving this process forward.
Rockaway Beach community is cognizant of the need for investment in our present and future. We know that this is important since our property owners deserve to have high expectations from their city, and we are so financially reliant on a positive experience for visitors to our town. We should not assume that maintaining the status quo is good enough. With this in mind we must take an informed look at staffing levels in City Hall, in Public Works, in the Fire Department and in Public Safety. City Leadership and City staff are delivering at a high level on a lean staff. This is not sustainable. If we want to invest in and improve our community, we need to right size City staff judiciously.
Another critical challenge is the rift in our business community; it creates a headwind which negatively impacts our community and city government. I will host a business owner summit in early 2025; bring together our business owners to collectively build a path forward that will heal the rift in our business community.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
In a tourist driven economy such as Rockaway Beach, short-term rentals are an important part of tourist housing. However, placing a short-term rental business in a neighborhood undermines the quality of life and connectedness for residents of that neighborhood. Short-term rentals also reduce the number of available long-term rentals available to support the workforce and vibrant neighborhoods. Rockaway Beach City Council took a critical step in assuring the City creates a balance of enough short-term rentals to support a robust tourist economy while at the same time protecting our neighborhoods from excessive numbers of short-term rentals. Rockaway Beach City Council got it right by setting a Cap on the number of licenses allowed, and establishing an annual review of our short-term rental Ordinance and Cap to ensure that balance is maintained.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I believe it is best to encourage not discourage reading. Reading helps people get a better idea of the world and their place in it. Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development. In the end, Parents may and should control what their own children read, but individuals or organizations don’t have a right to restrict what books are available to others.
I am currently reading Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny; I just completed Glass Houses by Louise Penny. Ms. Penny’s books are a magical, deep exploration of human character and human interaction staged around a murder investigation.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
Yes, I do. Ballots are counted by machines, which are faster and more accurate than hand counts. Several steps are taken to ensure the accuracy of the count. First, the machines are tested and certified three times: well before, just before, and after elections take place. Oregon’s machines passed federal lab tested certification and are tailored to Oregon’s vote-by-mail system. Second, the machines are never connected to the internet and physical access to the machines is tightly restricted. Finally, Oregon has required post-election audits after each statewide election since 2008. In these audits, elections officials conduct a hand recount to verify that the machine count is accurate. All of Oregon’s 35 county elections officials conduct these reviews, which require hand recounts of ballots.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
My campaign is self-funded
Dane Winchester
1. Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
I will listen and take into account the needs and perspectives of all Rockaway Beach stakeholders including residents, local businesses, visitors, and second home owners. Elected officials should be taking into account the needs of all stakeholders, not just their like-minded circle. I will encourage getting community members involved in coming up with solutions and making recommendations, and support those recommendations – it’s not about what I want it’s about what the community wants and is best for the city.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
Encouraging workforce/more affordable housing. With the cost of building and the fact Rockaway is a desirable location for second homes, traditional single family homes are not realistically going to fill this need. There are things that can be done to encourage alternate housing options, one quick win that could have been done already by the city council is policy that encourages housing options like ADUs, duplexes/triplexes, tiny homes, etc. Currently the city discourages these building options. The longer we wait to make some changes the longer it will take to see results – there is no instant fix.
Supporting and funding emergency services. We have a great fire department leading the emergency preparedness efforts. We need to ensure they continue to be funded. I believe we also need to do an analysis on the feasibility of bringing back the Rockaway Beach police department. We were told by the city council when they outsourced police to Tillamook County that we would get better coverage, cheaper. The fact is after a couple years our coverage has gone down, even in the critical busy summer months. That isn’t acceptable.
Parks and Recreation department. I’m going to use this as a broad category, basically we need to provide opportunities and activities for residents to be involved in. As people move in to Rockaway Beach it’s hard to get involved and meet people. I’m not sure what exactly that looks like yet, but it is a great opportunity for a committee to develop that vision with input from our community.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I believe STRs are critical to Rockaway Beach. Rockaway is in a great financial position while having the lowest property tax rate in the area, and that’s largely due to Transient Room Taxes which are a large portion of Rockaway Beach revenue. Local businesses, which are important to those of us that live in town, also rely on visitors using STRs to survive. STRs certainly need to be regulated and actually enforced. Perhaps a cap is needed if the numbers get too “big”, but what is too big for a resort town? I don’t believe is there was any real analysis done to make a fact-based decision with the current cap. I would like to see a committee formed with community members with all points of view on STRs to work together to identify the issues to be solved and identify steps to address issues including avaluating the current STR numbers. The new system rolled out by Rockaway should help with some real numbers.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I would not support book bans. Sure, books can be age appropriate, but banning books is not appropriate.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I think there is always opportunities for fraud, but not widespread or on a scale that influences the outcome of our elections.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
No outside donors, all self-funded. www.danewinchester.net
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
POSITION #1
Mary MacGinnis (incumbent)
1. Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
I make things happen. I started/co-started initiatives that make Rockaway a thriving community: Salmonberry Trail, Lake Lytle Project, buying our drinking watershed, and healthy balance with STRs/full time residents. I am working on mixed income housing, supporting businesses with grants and events, and updating ordinances. What makes Rockaway really shine is its compassionate character. I foster that with open communication, a generous and respectful spirit, and forward-thinking governing. I ask businesses and residents what we as a community want and need, add that to my robust issue research, and bring it all to my City Councilor decision making.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
1. Mixed income affordable housing is an issue in Rockaway Beach. We lack sufficient affordable workforce and retirement housing to sustain our community. This is an issue that is larger than just the City of Rockaway Beach. I joined the Tillamook County Housing Commission’s Legislative Committee to affect state legislation and funding to bring affordable housing to Rockaway. The City of Rockaway Beach is updating zoning ordinances to make building mixed income housing more doable. I support adding more City Staff to community development to allow the City Planner time to work on housing.
2. Sustainable drinking water is another issue. I started the City governmentconversation about buying our drinking watershed and the formation of a citizen’sadvisory group for protecting our drinking watershed. I toured other drinking watersheds and brought the information back to Rockaway Beach. I voted to sign a Letter of Intent to buy the lower part of the drinking watershed.
3. Infrastructure funding is also a top priority. Like many local cities, Rockaway Beach has an aging water, wastewater, and road system. We are limited in the progress we can make on building mixed income affordable housing until we upgrade our infrastructure. I voted to sign a contract with an engineering firm to study our infrastructure needs, and I support hiring more Staff for City Hall and Public Works to improve our infrastructure and find the grant funding for it.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I value the business tourists bring to Rockaway Beach. Visitors do more than support our businesses; they enhance the diversity of thought and character of Rockaway. And, yes, the transient room tax is a benefit to Rockaway’s City budget. But with all that comes the need to ensure we have a viable workforce to support the tourist industry and a stable staff in our schools to educate our children. We can’t have the strong workforce our businesses need to stay open and thrive, nor can we provide a top-notch education for our children unless we have housing for workers. We also need
functioning neighborhood communities of residents who volunteer and serve our City in many capacities. Rockaway was losing the healthy balance between the short-term rental business industry and livable communities. Short-term rental businesses were outpacing community housing. For that reason, I supported and voted for a cap on the number of short-term rental businesses. The City Council built in provisions to ensure that the short-term rental industry could still contribute to Rockaway’s economy: independent collection of short-term rental industry data, and a yearly review of that data to make adjustments as needed. The short-term rental industry will continue to thrive in Rockaway, and residential neighborhoods can rebuild with housing using the healthy balance model City Council established.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I am a language arts/English and high school social studies teacher. I saw lives change and worlds open for young people as they read about a world bigger than their immediate lives. Our book collections have to be diverse and be a reflection of our society we live in, meaning we can’t just have one kind of viewpoint represented. Books help young people develop empathy and respect. “Book ban” is a conflicted phrase as there are a variety of ways to “ban books”. I advocate making books accessible to readers and allowing them to form their own opinions about the validity of what they read. I am a fierce reader, always reading multiple books at one time. The last two books I read are: “Day Hiking the Oregon Coast” a local hiking guide by Bonnie Henderson with 92 coast trails, including the 4.6 mile beach trail in Rockaway; and “The Rockaway Writers Rendezvous 2024 Anthology”, a collection of original poems and short stories featuring mostly local youth and adult winners of the 2024 Rockaway Writers Rendezvous contest. It can be purchased at Rockaway stores or on Amazon.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
Yes, I think Oregon’s elections, and Tillamook County elections are safe. We turn in our ballots and they have a tracking number on the envelope. We can log in to the Oregon Secretary of State website and track our ballot as it moves through the system just as we can track a package we order. The Tillamook County Clerk’s office opens the ballots in the presence of ballot count watchers and monitors.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I am self-funded as I don’t have an opponent.
POSITION #2
Kristine Hayes
1. Give your 2-minute elevator speech – 100 words or less –
I have double digit years of service and grant work for our community,the first wayside grant, a Travel Oregon grant of $94K creating ADA access in our downtown corridor this past year. I support family-based businesses, regenerative tourism, our school district and local events. I have been a CASA, Lion-Leos Liaison, Booster Club President, volunteered in every school in District #56, and was on our 1st Nature Preserve and Tourism Committees. I want low hookup fees for pre approved ADU’s. (not STR’s). I asked hard questions, and I advocate for all of Rockaway, striving for balance for all of us.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
a. The most pressing issue in Rockaway Beach is the sense of division. A small, organized group currently holds the reins of decision-making, often without genuine citizen support. We have a 26-million-dollar budget. Decisions must be inclusive and reflect the needs of the entire community. We need more citizen committees, and those existing should have an open, honest, and fair application process to ensure an accurate representation of our community. I am 100% dedicated to positive balance and harmony in all of Rockaway Beach
b. Health and safety; we need stronger emergency services & Park and Rec for all ages. It is clear our community misses our local Police Department. Let’s look at how to restore this together. How do we further support our Fire Department and prepare for catastrophes? We could decongest peak season roads if we offered a trolly for public transportation in town, a topic I have brought up numerous times, but have been ignored.
c. For years now, we have needed to look at better uses of our tourism money. I have advocated for a We Speak program, which would elevate our natural surroundings in educative conversations with visitors. Regenerative tourism, so our visitors know how to leave Rockaway Beach better and healthier than when they arrived. This starts with harmony between the Chamber of Commerce, Business Association, and City Government.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I support balance. I think we can honor our comprehensive plan and respect and honor our past to shape the future. Let’s look at the real economics and focus on Mom-and-Pop businesses, including STRs. As a council member I never received any of the concrete data I requested regarding STRs. Reports from the current Mayor and Granicus reflect different data, a difference of over 100 STR’s. We have an obligation to make sure all the facts and data presented to the public is concrete and true. None of us should making these decisions without real historical data and projections to make valid decisions from. In addition, since I have a family and an STR, I have had to recuse myself from voting in the past term. Since I have volunteered in the Chamber for more than 20 years, I think I have a great deal more to offer our body on this topic, including the need for a real reflective STR citizen committee. However, our current city leaders do not want my input.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? The last book read.
I do not support book bans. I would not support legislation to prevent book bands. The most recent book I read is Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman. I see this question as divisive. Our seats are nonpartisan, and elected city officials are unlikely to ever need to discuss this issue at the table, let’s speak to the issues that are decided by our municipality.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I believe that local elections are safer now than they have ever been before. A voter told me ballots will be counted live this year, I have not confirmed, but it is seeming like something our county elections official, whom I support, would put in place.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)? Who are your top five campaign donors? I do not have campaign donors. Nor have I ever taken my stipend from the city of Rockaway Beach in the past 7 years. I have many community members that support me in ways that aren’t just about money. I am very frugal and have no problem creating my own materials and distributing them for under the $750 limit the state allows us. This question is also peculiar to me. I would think voters are far more interested in what goals we have for Rockaway Beach.
7. What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)? this question does not pertain to me.
Tom Martine (incumbent)
1. Give your 2-minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
I have participated in Rockaway Beach as a member of the Planning Commission, City Council, and twenty-five years as a Fire Captain and Medical Officer for the Rockaway Beach Fire Department. That significant experience has informed me of all the inner workings of the City. With the able leadership of our City Manager Luke Shepard, and his excellent staff, the City is in the middle of the most productive period in our history. I ask for your support so I can continue to represent you, so we can continue our trajectory of success in Rockaway Beach.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
We are working earnestly and cautiously to pursue the goal of purchasing and maintaining the source of our water, the Jetty Creek Watershed. We are getting very significant community input on what their concerns and desires are in this regard. We are making progress on this important project which is vital to ensure we have a safe and clean source of water for now and into the future. There will be more opportunities for public input, and I invite all residents to come so we can hear your feedback.
You ask about short-term rentals in the following question, but I also think it is an important issue, because it has caused some dissention and animosity in the City between residents and short-term rental owners. I believe the steps the City Council has taken to amend ordinances to ensure better compliance, and the cap have made it better for everyone. As stated below, the software will give us better data such as occupancy rates and will also significantly enhance the complaint process for residents which have been concerns we have heard. We will continue to work on this issue.
There is an issue in our city that is unfortunately causing there to be a lack of unity in the City of Rockaway Beach. I don’t suggest that everyone must agree on every issue, but it makes it difficult for businesses to operate and for the City to do its business for all residents of Rockaway Beach. I will work on ways to close the chasm that is causing this lack of unity and understanding.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I voted on and agree with a cap on short-term rentals. I understand that Rockaway Beach relies on short-term rentals to allow our visitors places to stay. At the same time, I want to make sure that neighborhoods with full time residents still have a “sense of community”.
This cap will allow the City to balance these two needs. This is not being done in a vacuum. The City has a program that will give us solid data to allow us to periodically review where we are, and allow us to adjust the cap, if necessary.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I don’t believe there should be book bans. It is not the right of another person to determine what books are read by others.
I have been rereading an old book on How to Repair Pianos. I enjoy playing piano and working with my hands, so working on pianos is a natural fit.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I do think our elections are safe and secure and believe that all election officials from the Secretary of State to our local election official in Rockaway Beach do everything in their power to ensure safe and secure elections. For example, voting equipment is not connected to the Internet, and Oregon law requires random sampling hand counts or risk-limiting audits in all counties following primary, general, and special elections.
Please be sure to register to vote by the deadline of October 15, 2024. Ballots will be mailed on October 16, 2024.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I am funding my own campaign.
POSITION #3
Kiley Konruff
1. Give your 2-minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
My name is Kiley Konruff, and I have worked, played, raised my kids, and lived in Rockaway since 2006.
I am asking for your vote on November 5, and if you do, I promise more than anything to be approachable and always willing to listen to Rockaway Beach residents. I have raised my daughters here, and I want this city to continue to be the kind of place that will encourage my daughters to want to raise their children in the Rockaway Beach I love. This will be my promise to you as your City Councilor.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
Housing is a critical issue in Rockaway Beach. When my landlord sold my house years ago, I had anxiety about where me and my family were going to live. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a house, but not everyone is so fortunate. The City needs to seriously investigate what it can do to mitigate the lack of affordable, or mixed income housing for our residents and for individuals that want to be able to move here to work in our local businesses. I am aware that SB406, which the City is in the process of implementing, will change zoning in residential areas to accommodate higher density housing such as duplexes, triplexes, etc. Of course, there is little buildable land in Rockaway Beach at the present time, so we may have to look at partnering with neighboring communities or unincorporated areas for solutions.
As I am sure others have said, water availability, cleanliness, and safety are a big concern not only for residents, but for our businesses, and visitors to our community. I have been watching with interest the steps the City is taking to purchase and control the Jetty Creek Watershed. This is clearly a complicated and potentially long-term process, but I agree that having the City having jurisdiction over its water supply is an important issue. I encourage all residents to continue to take the opportunity to learn about the Jetty Creek Watershed project in the community information sessions provided by the City.
I am interested in seeing more community opportunities for people of all ages to participate in. The recent music event put on by the Neah-Kah-Nie Coast Art & Music Cultural Foundation (NCAM) is one such example. We have the wayside, the new and popular Anchor Street Park, and a very underused Phyllis Baker Park that could be used to expand recreational, cultural, or educational events.
Another possibility is adding a community center for our non-sunny days or evening to be added to the 10-acre higher ground project.
Whether it is a formal Parks & recreation Department, or a commitment from the city to encourage and support such activities is up for debate, I would advocate for attention to this by our City Council.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
The City has instituted a cap that has allowed the opportunity to allow current short-term rental (STR) owners the opportunity to keep their current licenses, and at the same time listen to members of the community that have seen a proliferation of STR’s in their neighborhoods. The city needs to maintain a balance of tourism related housing and at the same time recognize that people want a community feel where they know their neighbors. The steps that the City has taken to have a computer program that will give them real data on STR occupancy and complaints will go a long way to give the Council data to review during their required annual review of the STR cap. STR’s also have an impact on availability of housing for long-term rental in the City and are a part of the discussion of mixed-use housing I addressed earlier.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I do not believe anyone has to right to tell someone else what books they choose to read. It is the parent’s duty to consider what is age appropriate for
their own children.
The last book I read is Angel Falls, by Kristen Hannah.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
Oregon has safe and secure elections. I invite individuals to review the Election Integrity section of the Oregon Secretary of State website to see what they are doing to ensure election integrity. Oregon Vote By Mail has been in use since the year 2000 and has proven to be a convenient and secure way for Oregon voters to participate in the election process.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I am self-funded
Stephanie Winchester
1. Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
Hello my name is Stephanie Winchester and I am running for Rockaway Beach City Council position #3. My priorities are unifying our community, supporting and promoting our local businesses, and improving the livability of our amazing city. As a current member of our planning commission and budget committee I have gained experience and knowledge that will make me an effective councilor. Lately it seems that our city has been divided and I will work with everyone in our community to find common ground and really listen to each other. Together we will create a strong future to our wonderful city.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
My priorities are – Community, Emergency Preparedness and Enhancing our City’s Resources:
Community – We need to continue to have engaging open houses to promote community-based decision making. Each time I have had an opportunity to participate in an open house I have been inspired and engaged. We are all better when our combined ideas melded together to make a better outcome. Engaging in these opportunities also reminds us how much we have in common and promotes communication which will break down divisions and promote unity. We also need to ensure that there is always time for true citizen input in each ordinance and decision made by the city council. Having a first and second reading on the same meeting an ordinance goes into place limits our citizen’s ability to impact the council’s decision making and should be avoided.
Emergency Preparedness – We live in the most amazing place, however in any type of emergency situation we could be cut off from services and need to be able to rely on ourselves. We have some amazing volunteers along with our Fire Department that have been reinvigorating our readiness during the past year and I am in awe of their work. I am so excited to participate in our CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and our Emergency radio net and get to meet so many of you. This is an opportunity for each of us to participate, volunteer, be educated and reach out to our neighbors. Let’s continue this work to build community and ensure we can take care of ourselves should an emergency strike.
Enhancing our city’s resources – As a planning commissioner one of my favorite projects was our open house to gain community input on the Lake Lytle project. We need to do more of these to look at the parks, and other resources (for example our community center) and prioritize together how to utilize these to come together as a community. We need to look both at what our full-time residents can use to engage together during all seasons. What activities can we have during the winter when it might a bit icky outside? What can we do to ensure our resources are also ready for when our occupancy is high in the summer? It is about balance and gathering input from our entire community. If elected as a city counselor I will no longer be able to hold my position on the planning commission. I would however, ensure that the planning commission has the support to hold these open houses and be the forum for gathering community based decision making. I would do this by encouraging our citizens to participate in each opportunity for input be it a survey, attending an open house, a planning commission meeting and of course a city council meeting.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
My husband and I own and operate a short term rental in our community and we have a second under construction that is nearly finished. My husband and I operated these, as well as a STR owned by my father-in-law in Spring Lake. We value the relationships we build with those that rent from us. Our renters know we live just a short distance away and appreciate that we can be over quickly if they have any issues. I believe we need to enhance our STR ordinance to address issues that our residents have with STRs near them, such as parking, late night noise for example. Making sure our ordinance holds each of us who own STRs accountable is critical to the success. As for a cap, I am not opposed to a cap to STRs, however I believe the capped amount of STRs should be researched and evaluated to ensure it is meeting our intended objectives.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I am not supportive of book bans and would support legislation to prevent them. I believe that having book bans limits free speech and sometimes can be a partisan act. I do understand the idea behind wanting to stop the publishing of false information, but generalized book bans can be a dangerous tool that can unintentionally silence a voice.
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I love Oregon’s vote by mail system. I think it allows us to take our time, research our decisions and make better choices than when we voted in person. I do think our system is safe, however we must constantly look at ways people are hurting the system and ensure each valid registered voter submits their own ballot.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I have no donors and am funding my campaign expenses myself.
POSITION #4
Alesia Franken (incumbent)
- Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
My name is Alesia Franken, and I humbly ask for your vote. I promise to continue to lead with my core values of honesty, transparency, and integrity, while approaching problem solving in a pragmatic fashion. I will continue working collaboratively with my fellow City Councilors, Mayor, City Manager, and excellent City Staff to advocate for our community watershed, and support community-based infrastructure improvement projects such as the state-of-the-art Anchor Street Park, Lake Lytle improvements, Wayside access improvements, and more. These types of projects make Rockaway Beach more livable for our residents as well as those that love to visit here.
- What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
Securing our community watershed such that we have clean and abundant water for our citizens and visitors is of vital importance. I am currently the Council Liaison to the Citizens Advisory Committee working with the Source Water Protection Development Team. The Citizens Advisory Committee is working along with the Development Team to complete all of the necessary steps that bring us closer to securing grant funding to help us take ownership of our watershed, which is currently owned by two different timber companies. We are grateful these timber companies are at the table and working with the Source Water Protection team. Some of my fellow Councilors, Citizens Advisory team members, and myself have visited other coastal reforestation projects. Some have also visited other community owned watersheds. These field trips help us understand best known practices from those who have gone before us in these endeavors. I firmly believe with intention and diligence we will secure our watershed, with a solid plan for enhancing water quality and levels for generations to come.
I hear often from citizens of their concerns for our city’s infrastructure. Working collaboratively with my fellow Councilors, Mayor, City Manager, and excellent City Staff, we approved the Streets Capital Improvement Study in August of 2023, followed by the approval of the resulting plan to address these improvements in April of 2024. The process was thoughtful in regard to addressing underlying infrastructure to these streets and ensuring the best approach for tackling the issues at hand. I will continue to support and champion these types of infrastructure improvements. This support includes water and sewer needs, helping to reduce inadvertent water loss along the way.
I hear from our community a great deal on the need for affordable housing. There are many reasons why this is important: employees able to live near their workplace; comfortable housing availability on a fixed income; ability to keep one’s home should personal emergencies arise, and more. I have an Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU), which I rent at a reduced rate. Importantly, ADUs are not allowed to be a Short-Term Rental. I champion more ADUs to address some of our housing needs. I also support the city in its efforts to incorporate the new requirements established by Senate Bill 406. Rockaway Beach is currently updating its zoning laws to meet these requirements, which should help the development of affordable housing.
- What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
We have worked to ensure a balance for our community that addresses concerns of both full-time residents and short-term rental owners. It is clear there are passionate responses on both sides of the issue, as suggested by our recent citizens engagement input from the city’s strategic planning process. We have seniors that retired to a peaceful neighborhood, just to have their lives inundated in the last few years since the pandemic, with issues such as excessive noise, extreme traffic congestion, littering, and more. We have individuals who were able to invest in homes in a place they love and can afford doing so because they rent their home out when they are not visiting. It is a complex issue, but that does not mean that it should not be addressed. By putting the Short-Term Rental cap in place, we established a limit that reflected the number of Short-Term Rentals we had at the beginning of our discussion on the topic. During the time of deliberation and public input, a number of homeowners purchased licenses, pushing the current number of Short-Term licenses approximately 100 licenses over the cap that was finally established.
As part of the ongoing approach, the council has agreed to review the Short-Term Rental cap and its suitability on an ongoing basis.
It is important to know key information as obtained from data earlier this year:
- 6% of Short-Term Rentals in Rockaway are owned by people who are full time residents of Rockaway Beach
- 30% of Short-Term Rental owners live out of state
- 83% of Short-Term Rental owners, own a single STR
- 38% of Short-Term Rental properties are managed by their owners, with the remaining managed by property management companies
- Rockaway Beach was the last coastal city to incorporate a cap on Short-Term Rentals
- Rockaway Beach has the highest number of hotel rooms in Tillamook County
Finally, with the procurement of the new software for Short-Term Rentals, the city will have extensive data to help with any future decisions on the Short-Term Rental cap. My fellow City Councilors and I (one Councilor recused themselves from voting due to a conflict, being a Short-Term Rental owner) agreed unanimously to establish the Short-Term Rental cap in order to ensure a balance for our citizens and for those who are investing in Short-Term Rentals in our beloved city.
- What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I am absolutely against book bans. I would support legislation to prevent book bans. As an example, one of my favorite books of all time, also made into a movie, is To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book often appears on lists for banning. To date, this book has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. I am currently reading several books, but a book I have read recently is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
- Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I absolutely believe our elections are safe and secure. Oregon became the first state to vote-by-mail in 2000. This provides a convenience and ease of access for all our citizens. This means Oregon uses paper ballots, and the elections rely on hand recounts, accurate data, and vote counting machines which are never connected to the internet, to ensure accuracy and security of election results.
- Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I am self-funded and have volunteers that give their time in helping canvass or complete administrative support.
Justin McMahan
- Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
As a passionate community leader, business man and pastor, I’ve dedicated the last several years to serving Tillamook County. My experience in executive management, small business entrepreneurship and pastoring has taught me the value of strong leadership, collaboration, and practical problem-solving. I’m running to advocate for integrity in our city government, responsible growth, support local businesses, and to ensure that every voice in our community is heard. My commitment to family, faith, and public service drives me to make decisions that will benefit all residents. Vote for me, Justin McMahan, and let’s work together to shape a brighter future for Rockaway Beach!
- What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communitiestoday? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
Workforce and median-income housing needs to be developed in Rockaway Beach. By using available city land to build affordable housing in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, we can make a real difference. Changing zoning laws to allow for multi-family housing, especially with the support of a Senate bill currently in the works for Tillamook County, will further address this need. Additionally, encouraging strategic Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) expansion and reducing fees will make housing more accessible. Building a reasonable fee structure for water and sewer services and annexing areas like Twin Rocks and Nedonna Beach will allow for more strategic land use and development.
I have been visiting Rockaway Beach my entire life, and I’ve seen firsthand how local businesses have struggled to thrive. I am committed to protecting and growing our economy while working alongside residents to find balance. I will work to reduce or eliminate unnecessary fees on businesses and help establish programs that educate owners on managing their businesses in a complex tourist market. I will also pursue an Urban Renewal program to address urban blight and promote downtown beautification. Ensuring short-term rental tax revenue is properly allocated toward road maintenance and essential services is a priority, as is helping new businesses secure grants and loans for long-term success. We can strengthen our economy without sacrificing the well-being of our citizens or businesses.
Restoring transparency, honesty, and collaboration in government is essential to building trust and fostering community involvement. I will prioritize transparency by holding public forums on major issues and ensuring ordinances are clearly defined, with votes only after a second reading and city input. Accountability will be required for both staff and council when mistakes occur. I aim to create more open dialogue in council meetings, encouraging discussion rather than passive listening. Citizen committees will be reinstated for key decision-making processes, and city services will be provided equally for all residents. I will work to restore alignment with our comprehensive plan, update the city charter, and bring back director titles for staff leadership positions. The grant process will be fair and equitable, with a strategic plan implemented through citizen input. Lastly, I will push for a forensic audit of city finances to ensure budgets and spending are properly managed.
Some people are scared of conflict and hard conversations. For much of my career coaching, conflict management and holding people accountable was a part of my daily work life. If you want things done with integrity it requires difficult conversations, honesty, admitting wrong and working to fix it in the future.
- What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I am an advocate for vacation rentals, as my own home is a blend of short-term rental and family living space—without this, I wouldn’t be able to live in Rockaway Beach. I opposed the short-term rental cap proposed in 2023 because the process lacked community discussion, compromise, and access to real data on the impact of vacation rentals. The initial plan also sought to prevent license transferability, punishing current license holders. A group of us fought this and won, but the council still re-evaluates yearly, meaning licenses remain uncertain. Here’s how I plan to address these concerns: I will establish a citizens committee with both rental owners and non-owners to provide data-driven recommendations for a “smart cap” number that is fair and not based on arbitrary limits. This committee will also help address problematic rentals. I will ensure the three-strike complaint rule is enforced, something the city currently fails to do, and hold stakeholders like Vacasa and iTrip accountable for managing their properties properly.
- What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I firmly support free speech and believe it’s dangerous when a nation without a moral compass starts deciding which books should be banned. That’s why I oppose book bans. However, I also strongly support individual and parental rights regarding the books that are assigned to our students. When it comes to our children, I believe it’s the responsibility of each parent to determine what content their kids are ready to engage with. While it’s important for young people to learn about challenging topics, they shouldn’t be exposed to adult subject matter that their parents feel they’re not ready for. Schools should work in partnership with parents to select reading materials that are approved by both the school district and families. We need collaboration, not authoritarian decisions from the district. For me personally, the last book I read was Atomic Habits, and I recently reread The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.
- Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
I believe our local elections are safe in that I don’t believe there’s any tampering with ballots or unusual things like that. In Rockaway Beach though we have a biased election process that needs to be resolved by the next council in updating our charter. As it stands our process that had been successfully followed for 40+ years was changed in 2014 without the citizens of Rockaway voting for the change. Then in 2024 it was codified into law by the current mayor through misrepresenting an ordinance that was put into law earlier in the year. There is a lot of work to be done and trust to be earned by our new council.
- Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
My top donor is me, followed by a friend who donated $100, no organizations or pacts have donated to me. My friend and I are Tillamook County residents.
POSITION #5
Penny Cheek (Incumbent)
1. Give your 2 minute elevator speech- 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you?
I enjoy roaming in Rockaway Beach, meeting with business owners and residents to keep up with what is happening in town, and what is on resident’s minds. Rockaway Beach is bustling with activity and running smoothly under the able leadership of our City Manager Luke Shepard in conjunction with city staff, and the City Council. I ask for your vote on November 5th, so I can continue representing you, and to work on the important and common cause of continuing to make Rockaway Beach the best little city on the Oregon Coast.
2. What do you think are the 3 most important issues to voters in our communities today? And what solutions would you offer to address these issues.
I believe that the purchase and stewardship of the Jetty Creek Watershed is an important issue that the city is in the process of addressing. We have set up the Sourcewater Protection Plan Development Advisory Committee (SPPDAC). The advisory committee consists of five citizens who are served by the Rockaway Beach Water District, and at least four citizens are residents of Rockaway Beach. Additionally, the city joined the Drinking Water Protection Plan Committee, which is a collaborative group of stakeholders, including the timber companies that currently own the watershed. The city is in the middle of a planning process that has been made possible by a grant from the Oregon Health Authority. Our hope is that this long process will culminate with the City owning and managing its important water source to provide clean and plentiful water for all residents and visitors into the future
The entire county, including Rockaway Beach, needs more middle-income housing for residents and the workforce that support our business community. We are looking at ways to mitigate this problem. For example, by instituting zoning changes as outlined in SB406 which will allow developers to build duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in residential areas. We have much more work to do in this area.
A current issue that the City is addressing is what is next for Rockaway Beach? In that regard, we are in the process of developing a 5-year strategic plan to develop the vision, values, goals, and actions to guide the City of Rockaway to provide services to the residents of Rockaway Beach. This Plan has, and will continue to have, significant input from the City Council, City Staff, and most importantly, the residents of Rockaway Beach. The result will be a plan that will preserve the best parts of Rockaway Beach while at the same time planning for the future.
3. What is your view of Short-Term Rentals? Do you support caps?
I support a cap. We need to have a balance between the visitors to Rockaway Beach, and the residents that live here full time. The cap that the City instituted is a way to do that. Recently the City has purchased a software program that will allow us to track short-term rentals compliance, and data about occupancy, etc. This information will be reviewed annually to see if the current cap is at the appropriate level.
4. What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read?
I do not agree with book bans. An individual parent can have influence on their own child’s reading choices, but no person, school, etc. should make that decision for anyone else.
My most recent reading is Fair Warning, by Michael Connelly. It is from a series of books about Jack McEvoy, an investigative journalist.
My favorite review of the book is this: “More literary caviar from Connelly.” -Financial Times
5. Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not?
Yes. Oregon has a very safe election system, and I trust the secretary of State and our Tillamook County Clerk.
From the Secretary of State website:
Oregon’s elections are secure. The voting equipment is never connected to the internet. There are no routers connected to the tabulation system and there never have been.
Oregon performs post-election reviews after every election that includes a federal or statewide contest.
6. Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)?
I am funding my own campaign, and I am 100% local!
Debra Reeves
- Give your 2 minute elevator speech – 100 words or less – Why should voters vote for you? People should Vote for me because I am a very positive, Educated, caring individual that would like to see our town flourish even more. I am engaged in the community and give each and every day to someone. As a Business owner I feel I can represent us all and gather information that supports our community businesses and does not hinder them.
- I would support a more balanced cap on STR’s but we need more information before decisions are made, I just see how the present cap is affecting businesses and would like to see a change.
- What is your stance on book bans? Would you support legislation to prevent book bans? What was the last book you read? Book Bans are for the public schools to decide, I would not Ban a book unless it negatively impacted the children.
- Do you think our elections are safe and secure? Why? Or, why not? Elections are safe due to the process in which the state goes through to make sure our Votes count.
- Who are your top five campaign donors? What percentage of your donors are local (Oregon)? I do not have campaign donors.
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