On the whole, Bend residents are happy with their quality of life, according to a 2015 survey conducted by DHM Research. The results of the survey, which polled 400 Bendites by cell phone and landline, were presented during a work session at last night’s City Council meeting. They revealed a general upward trend in many […]
City Council
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Tell Us How You Really Feel: Electing Bend’s Mayor
As you may or may not know, Bend’s mayor is not elected by voters, but rather appointed by his or her fellow city councilors. We’ll be exploring the question of how we elect the Mayor in the upcoming issue, but in the meantime, we want to know: What do you think? Are you content with […]
Posted inNews
State Finds No Violation of Election Law by Casey Roats, Closes Investigation
The State Elections Division closed its investigation Thursday into whether new Councilor Casey Roats ran afoul of election law in his voter registration and candidacy filings after finding insufficient evidence of a violation. The investigation was sparked by a complaint filed by local activist Michael Funke alleging that Roats knowingly provided false address information on election-related […]
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City Council Swears in New Members, Elects Jim Clinton and Sally Russell as Mayor and Pro Tem
In a quick and largely ceremonial meeting, Bend City Council swore in its three newest members. After Casey Roats, Barb Campbell and Nathan Boddie took their seats, they joined council in voting unanimously to re-elect Jim Clinton as mayor and to elect Sally Russell as mayor pro tem. “As many people may not know, it […]
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Councilor Doug Knight Vies for the Mayoral Gavel
When the new City Council meets for the first time on Wednesday, it’s short agenda includes electing a mayor and mayor pro-tem. In Bend, the mayor functions similarly to the chair of a board. He or she helps create the meeting agenda in cooperation with the city manager, facilitates meetings (with the ever-so-official gavel), and […]
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Barb Campbell
The quirky aunt with a passion for public process
Like the rainbow-hued array of toys, games and costumes in her downtown shop, Wabi Sabi, Barb Campbell is colorful, playful and quirky. When I walk into her Japanese toy store a week before Christmas, she is enthusiastically helping a customer select the perfect gift. Back in her office, where the door reads “Planning Division,” Campbell […]
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Casey Roats
The next-generation working class conservative
As anyone who followed his campaign likely knows, Casey Roats has deep roots in the local community. As we sit in the McMenamins pub, he explains that he actually attended the Old St. Francis School for part of high school, and served as an altar boy at the nearby Catholic church. “This was the principal’s […]
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Top 5 City Council Decisions
1. Establishing a Vacation Home Rental Task Force Certainly one of the most contentious issues of the year, vacation rentals occupied a significant portion of City Council’s time in the latter half of 2014. Council took a step in the right direction when it voted to create a 23-member Vacation Home Rental Task Force, including […]
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Top 5 Lessons from the Campaign Trail
1: Be likeable: Studies show what we all intuitively know—politicians stand a better chance of being elected if they are likeable (having good hair helps). While likeability may seem like a superfluous and irrelevant quality, good people skills play a vital role in political leadership. You can’t bring people to the table if no one […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters 12/2-12/9
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP AND THE UNASKED QUESTIONS Once again Doug Knight shows leadership and gumption (as does our beloved mayor) in the debate over qualifications to be on City Council. That debate should not have occurred at all. The good citizens of Bend should have considered the financial implications of having someone who is in […]