John Linder plans run for commissioner seat
Linder has filed a candidate committee with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, but as of the News-Register’s deadline Thursday evening had not yet filed for the ballot, according to the County Clerk’s office.
The Position 1 seat is currently held by Kit Johnston, who has filed for the chance to serve another four years. Marvin Bernards filed for the seat but withdrew from the race Jan. 13.
“I wasn’t planning to run for county commissioner,” Linder stated in a press release announcing his candidacy. “But after reviewing five years of county budgets, it became clear that Yamhill County has not been living up to its potential. Too often, we’ve walked away from revenue, weakened public health capacity, and neglected long-term investments that matter to families.”
Linder said his platform will focus on fiscal stewardship, strengthening parks and public health. He criticized the county for missing opportunities by rejecting or repaying grants.
He has served on the McMinnville School District Budget Committee for five years.
Earlier this week, Neyssa Hays, county parks advisory board chair and director of an outdoor education nonprofit, filed to run for Yamhill County Board of Commissioners Position 3.
The Yamhill resident will face Jason Fields in the May primary election. The seat now is held by Mary Starrett, who is finishing her third and final term.
Hays said her campaign is centered on “restoring responsibility, fiscal discipline and effective local governance.”
She grew up in Yamhill County. She has chaired the Yamhill County Parks Advisory Board for 10 years. She co-founded and directs Outdoor Education Adventures.
Her background includes working in her family business, in a union job, public service and nonprofit leadership. She said she sees an “urgent need to make county government work like a well-run business and to deliver services that protect quality of life for all residents.”
Hays said her platform calls for protecting core community services, including public health, courts, animal services and parks; responsible fiscal management; and “smart revenue” and regional collaboration.
Other candidates that have filed for Yamhill County offices thus far include Keri Hinton, the current clerk, and Cindy Johnson. Both women are running for the clerk’s seat, a four-year term.
Voters will decide during the May 19 election, which also will include candidates running for statewide offices. Winners of the primary will go on to run in the November election.
Some offices, such as the commissioner races, can be decided outright in May if candidates receive a high enough percentage of the vote.
Comments
manyhands
Vote for John Linder. Kit Johnston is sneaky.
Kit voted at an October 2 Yamhill County board of commissioners hearing to remove the "rail to trail" project from the county's Transportation System Plan (TSP).
Others at the meeting called the vote "sneaky" because the trail item was added after the agenda was printed and no information about the trail was included in the meeting packet.
The trail is a public asset already paid for by taxpayers. Public land decisions shouldn't happen quietly.
Vote for John Linder.
NJINILNCCAOR
Thank you mh. Good to know.