Hermiston City Council candidates express their views at a candidate forum Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at the Hermiston Community Center.

HERMISTON — Toward the end of a candidate forum Tuesday, April 12, in Hermiston, a couple of city council candidates pointed out distinctions between this event and ones like it at higher echelons of government.

“City council is different,” Roy Barron said.

An incumbent who is running for reelection May 17, Barron stated this sort of forum is more contentious on state and federal levels.

Sharing this sentiment, candidate David McCarthy voiced his approval of the entire group of candidates, including his opponent.

“Anyone here would do a good job,” McCarthy said.

Most of the city council candidates in the upcoming election participated in the forum, which the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce organized and held at the Hermiston Community Center.

Four of eight seats, all ward positions, are up for election this year. Three of the incumbents each a single opponent.

Jackie Myers, city councilor for Ward 3, is running unopposed and was not present.

Candidates present were Lori Davis, Ward 1 councilor and her challenger, Jackie Linton; Barron, Ward 2 councilor and his challenger, Stan Stradley; and Phillip Spicerkuhn, Ward 4 councilor and his challenger, McCarthy.

Angela Pursel, Hermiston business owner, moderated the forum. She had candidates present opening and closing statements and in between asked them questions about important topics of the day. The questions were of her own making.

Val Hoxie, chamber executive director, said she was pleased with the questions, which hit upon important topics in the town: homelessness, internet connectivity, housing and the city’s growth.

Davis vs. Linton

Davis spoke of her experience on the council, having won her seat in 2010. Her priorities, she said, include capital improvement projects, the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, youth activities, the police department and broadband internet service. After seeing the city work for years on solving its homeless problem, she said it must forge partnerships with the county.

She also praised the city for its growth. New infrastructure, she said, was important to encouraging housing development. She said she wants to continue working on these projects.

Linton spoke on her desire to improve veterans’ services, mental health, housing and job training. Hermiston, she said, faces some difficult days ahead, but it can meet the needs of its residents if it remains committed to caring for people in need. In addition, she said, the town can use four new police officers.

Both candidates spoke of their involvement in the city. Each serves on city boards and volunteers. Linton is a frequent visitor and speaker at city council meetings.

Barron vs. Stradley

A special education teacher, Barron said he is driven to serve others. He was first appointed to his seat in 2018 and won his first election in 2019. He said he has learned much in the last few years. Funding the police and working with Umatilla County on homelessness are a couple of his priorities, he said. And he stated he wants to see more public and private partnerships, as what is being done currently in Hermiston.

“Hermiston is a town — but one that is transitioning,” he said.

He added it should continue to grow, though it should maintain its small-town feel.

Stradley, former Umatilla County Housing Authority executive director, retired in 2019, said housing is an important issue. We must, he said, draw in developers and work on making affordable housing.

“There are ways to do it,” he said. “I have the experience.”

In addition, he spoke on mental health and drug recovery services.

Spicerkuhn vs. McCarthy

Spicerkuhn was first appointed to the council and then won an uncontested special election in March 2021 to retain his seat. At the forum, he spoke of his community involvement and his work as a lawyer. His background in law, he said, is helpful to the council. Also, he said he is interested in helping small businesses grow in Hermiston.

The incumbent pointed out that Nike is in the Portland area because it started there and grew. The next big Hermiston company, he said, could be one that starts small, becomes successful and expands. For that reason, the city should find ways to help its small businesses.

McCarthy, a past city councilor, spoke of his community involvement and volunteer work. A sales manager for local radio station KOHU, he is someone, he said, who loves his town and wants to see it thrive.

McCarthy spoke of his interest to improve walkability in Hermiston, as well as boosting internet, attracting apartment and house developers, adding new infrastructure and developing the city’s relationship with the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce.