Philomath voters will choose three city councilors from a field of five candidates on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Philomath does not use wards or districts for council elections, so the three seats will go to the top three vote-getters in an at-large race. The five candidates are incumbents Jessica Andrade and Richard Saalsaa, and challengers Candy Garcia, David Low and Amanda Polley.
The Benton County Elections office planned to begin mailing ballots this week.
Andrade, 35, has lived in Philomath for 9-1/2 years and works as a life skills educational assistant. As a councilor, she has prioritized public outreach and the city’s Inclusivity Committee.
Saalsaa, 68, a 12-year resident and retired deputy fire chief, chairs the council’s Public Works Committee and serves on the Police Committee. He volunteers as an EMT, teaches first aid and CPR, serves on the Philomath Community Services board and is president of the Philomath Lions Club.
Garcia, 44, has lived in Philomath since 1994. She is an instructional assistant substitute for Philomath schools and a private caregiver, and she owns a catering and baking business.
Low, 75, a 26-year resident, served on the council from 2016 to 2021. He retired after a 44-year career with financial institutions and regulators, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and spent his last 13 years as certified internal auditor and compliance officer at Oregon State Credit Union.
Polley, 42, has lived in Philomath for four years and works in outreach and communications at Oregon State University. She serves as a co-chair for the city’s Inclusivity Committee.
The Philomath News invited all five candidates to participate in the following Q-and-A in an effort to provide more insight to voters. Each candidate had a strict 100-word limit per question and each was invited to submit a photo. Answers are listed in alphabetical order by candidate.
Q1. With five candidates running for three seats, what experience or perspective would you bring to the council that voters should consider?
Andrade: I love building community, and I love learning. As a city councilor, I view my responsibility as doing what I can to make Philomath a more welcoming, accessible and inclusive place for everyone — to live, work, play and visit. This requires listening to our community members about their experiences and needs, which is why I have prioritized public outreach and the city’s Inclusivity Committee. It also requires the council to make decisions based on many kinds of data, a task in which my background in scientific research has helped me.
Garcia: I grew up in this town, and it’s not just my home but part of my family. I still spend much of my time volunteering, which is where you see and hear what our town needs. I have served on sports boards, safety committees, city boards and the Red Cross. I raised my five children here. I want people to see Philomath as the “gem” we all know it is, a place to raise a family. With three seats open, I’m asking for one of your votes, and I’ll earn it by showing up, listening and following through.
Low: Voters have a great slate of candidates to choose from. The fact that each of us has stepped up or wants to continue volunteering their time in service to Philomath is a great statement of character. Furthermore, I am well positioned to step back into the city councilor role, having served previously (2016-21). During that time, I chaired the Finance Committee and served on the Police Committee in addition to serving as the council’s liaison to several community stakeholders. I am very familiar with the city manager-council relationship and can comfortably navigate the process in the best interests of voters.
Polley: I have several years of experience on city committees and currently serve as a chair for the Inclusivity Committee. In my role at Oregon State University, I serve on several department and university-level committees, including my unit’s strategic advisory group, where we are developing our new strategic plan. I care deeply about Philomath, and as a councilor, I will be present at meetings, ready to engage and speak for the residents asking to be heard. I understand that I won’t know everything when I walk into the room, but I am not afraid to ask questions.
Saalsaa: I have worked with city staff for 10 years (planning, public works, police and city manager). I have two years’ experience as a city councilor, and I am currently chair of the Public Works Committee, a member of the Police Committee as well as numerous multicounty transportation planning committees. I was part of the budget process in the fire department before being a city councilor, and I was co-owner and board member of an international company (Priority Dispatch), responsible for a $25 million budget. I lead by example as a volunteer citizen and have spent a lifetime being of service.
Q2. The council approved a police services fee that now appears on residents’ utility bills. Do you support the fee as adopted, and would you keep, change or repeal it? How do you think the city should fund police services long-term?
Andrade: I don’t support the fee as adopted for two primary reasons:
1. Wrong funding mechanism — a levy option should have gone to the people for a vote.
2. Poor timing — police bargaining should have finished before staff presented the proposed city budget.
The council needs to think creatively and seek input from community members on how to proceed with funding police services long-term. This includes having community discussions about potentially changing cannabis time/place/manner restrictions to allow for an increase in the city’s shares of cannabis revenue to use as a funding source for police services.
Garcia: I support the police services fee as adopted. Public safety is a core responsibility, and the department needs stable funding. But I don’t believe a flat charge on residents’ utility bills should be the long-term answer. I would keep the fee in place for now, possibly create an annual public report showing how the money is spent, and build a lasting funding plan. That means prioritizing public safety in the general fund, maybe pursuing state and federal grants, so the cost isn’t carried mainly by households. Residents shouldn’t have to wonder where their $5 goes or when it ends.
Low: My impetus to run for City Council again is discomfort with a budget process that is out of step with today’s economic climate. Imposition of a service fee should only be a defined short-term measure and should have been anticipated earlier than when it became generally known by the public. For many people, the fee was an unwelcome surprise. For background, read my guest viewpoint published in the Philomath News on Aug. 16. I see a vital need to revise the city’s annual approach to budgeting. I have fresh ideas to address city funding without relying on a fee to balance the budget.
Polley: I believe that employees, no matter their profession, deserve to be paid a fair wage. I also know that the cost of living across the state is too high, and too many of us are feeling the pressure from all sides. I understand the reasons for wanting our law enforcement officers to be paid more, but we should not be asking residents to supplement this cost as a long-term solution. I know cuts to the budget have been made, but immediate spending prioritization conversations will be critical, and I think residents should have input about what is important for Philomath.
Saalsaa: Given the information we had at the time, this was a compromise reached as the best way to move forward with a balanced budget. I would rather not have had any service fee, but I was unwilling to cut funding for police services (who already cut several items themselves). My commitment is to expand the budgeting process next year to be more transparent, raise the level of communication and take the time needed to look at all options (including voter input if needed). I would strive to eliminate the fee as soon as possible.
Q3. Philomath continues to grow with developments such as Millpond Crossing. What kind of growth do you want to see, and what role should the city play in managing it?
Andrade: I would like to see strategic, well-planned growth that aims for the long term. We need more affordable and varied housing types, not only single-family homes. We also need a grocery store. I would like to see the city’s natural features protected better than they have been; our trees and wetlands are disappearing much too quickly. The city should ensure correct procedures and processes are being followed to prevent the kinds of issues seen with Millpond Crossing. Philomath has long-term priorities and needs that should be guiding the activities of individual developers, not the other way around.
Garcia: Growth is coming, and I’d rather we shape it than react to it. Developments like Millpond Crossing show the opportunity and the risk. Housing alone doesn’t build a community. People need places to shop, eat, work and gather, so I want growth that brings stores, services and commercial space along with new homes. The city’s role is to set clear expectations early, make sure roads, water and public safety keep pace, and involve residents before decisions are made, not after, through town halls, surveys and open comment periods. Growth works best when the people who live here have a voice.
Low: The central question is how to grow responsibly. Municipal government must be the gatekeeper, with the City Council responsible for final decisions. Growth includes factors such as rate of growth, types of developments (residential, commercial, industrial), supporting infrastructure, safety and effect on the character of the community. Responsible growth must consider the impact on city finances. Revenue from growth needs to exceed expenses. Property tax is key to sustainability. Overall, responsible growth is a balancing act, with each factor affecting others.
Polley: I want to see Philomath grow. My family has lived here for almost five years. We were welcomed in with open arms, and I can’t imagine ever wanting to live somewhere else. As someone who bought a home in Millpond Crossing, I have seen the chaos from the inside. I have experienced the unacceptable lack of communication and accountability, from both the developer and the city. I believe that councilors were not given the opportunity to be involved until problems surfaced, which led to reactive conversations instead of thoughtful ones, and we can change that for future projects.
Saalsaa: I would like to see more affordable housing in our area, and there needs to be a wider conversation for sustainable growth (taking into consideration factors in transportation corridors, water and sewer, etc.). There are multiple departments and committees that look at various aspects of the development process — and I would like to see more centralized involvement where projects can be discussed with a representative of the City Council. There have been other very successful projects (apartments, Deer Creek, etc.), and we can learn from those experiences about what works.
Q4. What would you do to support Philomath’s downtown and local businesses, including along the Highway 20/34 corridor?
Andrade: Tourism already supports a lot of our downtown businesses, and we can help it do more. We get significant traffic from Corvallis seeking dining options and outdoor events here in Philomath, and we should build on that. I would continue supporting the city’s façade improvement and art programs; we should expand them if we can. For example, more businesses can take advantage of city funds that pay for local artists to create murals on their buildings. We can also add easily visible wayfinding signs pointing out local businesses, nonprofits, parks and other places of interest.
Garcia: Local businesses are the heart of our town, both downtown and along the highway corridor. Thousands of people drive through every day, and too many keep going. I’d work to get them to stop, spend and come back, with clear directional signage from the highway, better pedestrian and parking links to downtown, events and a “shop local” campaign. I’d also keep an open line between the council and business owners. Years ago, while working for the Philomath Bulletin, I interviewed many local businesses about their ideas for growth. I’ve seen many of those ideas happen, but much more can be done.
Low: We have seen meaningful improvement downtown with the completion of the Streetscape project. This includes major highway reconstruction, installation of stylish lighting, attractive plantings, artwork and support for business façade improvements. The Timber Town theme holds great promise for bolstering Philomath’s businesses as a desirable stopping point on the journey to and from the coast. I would like to see the theme incorporated deeply into Philomath’s commercial culture and to include all businesses within city limits. It follows that greater collaboration between the city and the chamber of commerce would be mutually beneficial.
Polley: The work that is currently being done is strong, and I think we should continue to build on it. Philomath is a city that is built on collaboration and volunteering, and I would love to see more events and projects where local businesses and artists collaborate to bring people together. I think the idea of having a weekly gathering downtown wasn’t thoroughly thought out, but the potential was there. People want community and reasons to come together, and if we can support and encourage those events, I believe we will see more businesses interested in putting down roots.
Saalsaa: I love the idea of our downtown corridor being a place for us to gather together and be accessible and available for celebrations and events. I absolutely support continuing to create an attractive place for cottage businesses, professional businesses and cultural establishments to move in and provide that place for people to come together. The Streetscape project transformed our downtown — and the city should continue to support and advocate for the merchants located there.
Q5. How would you keep residents informed and involved in city decisions, and how would you make yourself accessible to constituents?
Andrade: I pushed for the installation of an informational kiosk downtown, which could be used to advertise local events, city surveys and other information of interest to Philomath residents and visitors, including how to reach the City Council with concerns, questions and ideas. This kiosk is now set to be installed in the near future.
Along with a fellow former councilor, I spearheaded the City Council booth at the farmers market, which has since expanded into a regular rotation of the entire council. I also regularly attend Coffee with a Councilor and events around town.
Garcia: Residents deserve to know what the city is doing and to have a say in it. I’d use every channel, from social media to our local newspaper, to share what’s coming up and why decisions are made. But nothing replaces talking face to face. I’d hold open talks, show up at community events and be someone people can stop at the grocery store or local coffee shop. If you have a question or concern, you should know who I am and how to reach me. I want to be a council member people feel comfortable talking to.
Low: When I last served on the council, I always responded to messages sent to my city email. I feel it is important to acknowledge any communication from a resident to thank them for taking the time to provide their input. Community feedback helps my decision-making. The City Council has done a great job over the past years to encourage citizen involvement, which is reflected in the creation of the Inclusivity Committee, community events, outreach and Coffee with a Councilor. Where feasible, I would seek input from residents on controversial matters before casting my council vote.
Polley: Accessible city government is something that is very important to me. I understand that my own comfort in these spaces is a privilege, and I know that is not the case for most people. Our current councilors do public outreach events, but I think that residents feel that they must have specific questions when they attend. I want to encourage more informal conversations and idea sharing. I also think blog posts, or a periodic Q-and-A like this with current councilors and the mayor, would be a simple, alternative way to connect with residents outside of structured meetings.
Saalsaa: I would like to see a quarterly town hall that includes different members of the city staff/department heads and councilors showcasing various departments and the councilors that are part of those committees. For example, a police town hall one quarter, a public works town hall one quarter, etc. These town halls would consist of presentations and time for questions and answers. We have a booth at the farmers market and Coffee with a Councilor — town halls would increase community input in a timely way. I trust the voice of our community and passionately stand for more opportunities for communication.
