From the Desk of Jose Gonzalez
As 2024 comes to a close, it brings with it the usual end-of-year reflections - and for me, the end of my time as a Salem City Councilor. When my son asked if stepping away feels bittersweet, I told him it absolutely does. On one hand, I’ll have more time to dedicate to my family, which is the most important thing to me. On the other, I’m stepping awa
From the Desk of Kevin Cameron. Ascending to New Heights: The Economic Power of our Airports
As a longtime resident of Marion County, I’ve witnessed the incredible expansion and economic growth across our community firsthand. There are many contributing factors and areas I could highlight, but today, I want to discuss the critical role that our local airports, both the Salem Airport and Aurora State Airport, play in the economic growth and vita
From the Desk of Bill Burges
BE a Voter. Encourage others to be voters too. Let’s show our nation and the world how democracy works. The Marion County Clerk’s office looks forward to receiving your voted ballot. Check your registration status at www.oregonvotes.gov and update if necessary. If not yet registered, you have until October 15th to register to vote.
Here ar…
From the desk of Ed Diehl
Measure 117 – Is Ranked Choice Voting right for Oregon?
On November 5th, Oregonians will decide whether to make radical changes to our election system, impacting both how we vote and how votes are counted. Measure 117 would implement ranked choice voting (RCV) state-wide.
Elections must be easy to understand and accessible to every voter. They must be transparent and easy to audit, secure and controlled …
From the desk of School Board Director Kristina Hudson
I'm the Salem Keizer School Board Director out of Keizer also known as Zone 6, a seat I’ve been honored to hold since 7/1/23, which was quite a heartbreaking year as an attempt to salvage the drastic decline of the SalKeiz School District over the last several years, a year which contained much movement that this upcoming year will be and has already be
From the desk of Representative Paul Evans
One of our community's most significant challenges is finding and maintaining balance in our decision-making. As a state legislator, I'm deeply committed to an open, thoughtful, and transparent policy development process. I understand that every decision involves trade-offs, and I'm dedicated to finding the right balance between the quality…
From the Desk of Representative Tracy Cramer
As we enter into a campaign year, voters are going to have a big opportunity to address the most pressing issues impacting them and their families. As I have been traveling around the district talking to workers, families, business owners, and local leaders, the concern over public safety has stuck out like a sore thumb.
When people talk about public safe…
From the Desk of Nick Hunter
On June 30, 2023, I was unanimously appointed by the Marion County Board of Commissioners to be the 41st Sheriff of Marion County. It is an honor to serve as your Sheriff and address our community needs through communication, active listening, responsivity, and focusing on identifying the root of problems as opposed to reacting to the symptoms. &n
From the Desk of Salem Keizer School Board Director, Satya Chandragiri MD
It would be naïve on our part to think that everything will fall in place after the perfect storm that we all endured- COVID- 19 pandemic, social and economic disruption, social unrest, political polarization, and worldwide turmoil. While the world seemed to fall apart, I also witnessed acts of courage, love, and compassion from our teachers, school staf
From The Desk Of Marion County Commissioner Colm Willis
The other day, I saw a headline in the Willamette Week titled, “The State’s Leading Psychiatrist Says Oregon’s Approach to Mental Health is Wrong.” In the article, the newspaper interviewed the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Sciences University. Intrigued, I continued reading and discovered that this academic’s big id