By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Five seek three seats on Carlton council

 

Two incumbents and three other residents are vying for three open seats on the Carlton City Council.

Councilors Carey Rhoads and Scott Carl are running alongside newcomers Guilherme Brandao, Kevin Skipper and Grant Erickson.

The three who receive the most votes Nov. 3 will win four-year terms running Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2024.

The Yamhill County Clerk’s Office plans to mail ballots in mid-October. Voters must return them by mail or drop them in ballot boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The candidates are:

Rhoads first was appointed to the council in 2006 and elected in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

He said he volunteered for the council because he loves his community and its residents, and is running again because he wants to see the projects started during his terms come to fruition.

“I’ve invested time and feel a part of it,” he said.

Water, including the connection to McMinnville, will be one of the main topics in coming years, along with monitoring growth, which will continue, but must be kept “under control and within the city’s growth boundary.”

He said he’d also like to resolve the city hall project, put on hold in June. The current city hall is “structurally not very sound and safe,” he said.

A 24-year Carlton resident, Rhoads works as a sign electrician for Ramsey Signs; one of his most recent projects was the new sign at Spirit Mountain Casino. He’s been an electrician for more than 30 years.

He graduated from Ferndale High School and went through the Oregon apprentice program to gain his electrician’s license. He continues his education through the Oregon/Washington National Electrical Contractors Association.

Carl has been on the council since 2000, except for an 18-month span before he was reappointed in 2010. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2016. “I feel drawn to serve my community,” he said.

Carl grew up on a small farm outside Carlton, then moved to Yamhill and graduated from Yamhill Carlton High School. He attended National Broadcast School, studying television and radio broadcasting, and majored in commercial art at Portland Community College.

He returned to Carlton in the early 1980s.

A professional photographer, he has operated a business in town for many years. He also has been active with community events, such as Music for Hope, National Night Out and Fun Days.

“I have enjoyed seeing the community overcome obstacles and outshine many other communities around our area,” he said, urging “good communication and thought” to help Carlton continue its progress.

Projects he expects to see in the next four years include dredging the reservoir and improving the water supply, upgrading the sewage treatment facility; and finding a new city manager.

Brandao has lived in Carlton for four years, and said he likes it here because of “how safe and quiet the town is.”

He has an accounting degree from Idaho State University and a master’s in accounting from Brigham Young University, and recently became a U.S. citizen. He decided to get involved, he said, after feeling he didn’t have a voice in what was happening.

“I realized that it would be much better to understand what was going on in the city and try to help with what I could, instead of sitting back and watching it happen,” he said. “I would like to help my community.”

He said he wants to bring his “diverse background and different point of view to the council,” so he can help deal with important issues such as managing city growth and maintaining affordability.

Brandao owns his own online store. “I believe in data driven, responsible fiscal decisions,” he said. “I support local growth and encourage citizens to be involved in decisions.”

Erickson owns CDI Home Improvement. He has been a machinist, welder and fabricator for 30 years.

He serves on the Carlton Planning Commission.

“Many of the residents of Carlton don’t feel they are being heard or represented by the majority of the city council and current mayor,” Erickson said. “I want them to know, as a city councilor, I will be listening to what they have to say.”

Skipper grew up in Carlton and graduated from Yamhill Carlton high School. He studied emergency medicine at Chemeketa Community College while volunteering as a firefighter EMT with the Carlton Fire District.

An electrical technician, he now works for McMinnville Water & Light. He also has a background in public purchasing, inventory management and logistics.

Skipper and his wife settled in Carlton to raise their three children. He has coached youth sports and been involved with school councils, Walk in the Park and the St. John Church Pastoral Council.

He said he can “bring a new perspective, fresh ideas and transparency” to the council.

“Carlton’s unique livability and sense of community has made me proud to call it home,” he said. “I have witnessed first-hand the many changes to our city over the years and it’s imperative that we prepare for the changes ahead.”

The city needs to manage future growth, as “responsible growth can benefit our community in countless ways,” he said.

The city must immediately repair its infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks and a “reliable and affordable water system,” he said, and develop plans to ensure those taxpayer investments are effectively maintained.

“I also believe we must improve communication between the city and its residents by listening to their priorities and concerns and keeping them informed of plans and projects that impact the community and their families,” he said.

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