The quest for the next Camas mayor is officially on.
The city started accepting applications to fill the vacant mayoral seat on Friday. Applicants must reside in the city of Camas, have lived in the city for at least one year and be a registered voter. Applications are available at www.cityofcamas.us and at City Hall, 616 N.E. Fourth Ave. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Oct. 26 to apply.
There will be a special city council meeting at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at City Hall to interview finalists and appoint a new mayor, who will serve until after the Nov. 5, 2019, election.
Former Mayor Scott Higgins stepped down effective Sept. 30 to spend more time with his family. He served as mayor for seven years. Councilor Don Chaney, the current mayor pro tem, is currently leading city council meetings until a new mayor is appointed.
Chaney is undecided if he’s going to send in his application. He said he’s going to weigh his options over the next few weeks. Of the seven current city councilors, he was the only councilor undecided about applying.
Councilors Melissa Smith and Shannon Turk both said they plan to apply, while councilors Greg Anderson, Bonnie Carter, Steve Hogan and Deanna Rusch all said they are not going to enter their names in the mayoral race.
Smith has served on the council since 2004, and Turk joined the council in 2011. Both praised Higgins and his enthusiasm for all things Camas, and both also said they’d like to see a bit more communication between the city and its residents.
“I want more community engagement,” Smith said. “Sometimes when you say that, you can be opening Pandora’s box. If it’s managed properly and effectively and efficiently, that’s what is important to me the most.”
Turk said she’d like to bring back meetings where residents can meet the councilors who represent their ward. There are three wards in the city, each with two representatives. One councilor, Chaney, is elected at-large.
She said she thinks the biggest issues the city is facing are “managing smart growth within the city and diversifying revenue.”
Camas’ form of government
Camas operates under a council-mayor form of government, where the mayor acts as chief executive of the city. Camas has a city administrator to carry out the day-to-day administration of the city through delegation or direction of the mayor.
The mayor receives a stipend of $2,300 per month, plus a $50 per month wireless phone allowance, a $25 per month technology allowance and a $300 per month vehicle allowance. According to a release from the city, the mayor’s position has a minimum commitment of 60 to 80 hours per month for preparation, participation and attendance at various meetings and community activities.
Anyone in the city who meets the basic requirements can apply; no city government experience is required. As of Friday afternoon, City Administrator Pete Capell said nobody had sent in an application yet.
The councilors who are not running have a similar vision about what talents the new mayor should have. Anderson said the next mayor should have “big picture skills while (being) aware of the details” and be “thoughtful yet decisive when appropriate.”
Carter wants the mayor to have an “ability to unite opposing sides and willingness to compromise to reach agreement.” Hogan said the next mayor should display communication skills, leadership skills and interpersonal skills, as well as “demonstrate a high level of energy (and) be willing to work long and hard hours to get things done.”
Many of the councilors want to see the next mayor follow the path set by Higgins.
“Our next mayor must, first and foremost, have a genuine love for Camas and its citizens,” Rusch said. “That trait was evident with Mayor Higgins and instills confidence and pride in our constituents. Also important is experience with municipal government operations, from budgets to staffing to labor negotiations.”
