The Ridgefield City Council has been unchanged for several years as councilors have rarely faced opponents when their four-year terms expired. A couple of years ago, Mayor Ron Onslow bested a write-in candidate, and Sandra Day was re-elected over a challenger, who happened to be a former city council member. During this election cycle, three incumbents are running unopposed.
But Maria Salazar looks to unseat Councilor David Taylor and “offer a fresh, new voice” to the seven-member council, she said. Taylor seeks a third term in office and says the current group of councilors has good cohesion. Though councilors don’t always agree, they’re open enough to come to solutions in the best interest of the small but fast-growing city, he said.
Maria Salazar
After Salazar moved to downtown Ridgefield nearly four years ago with her husband and daughter, she began attending Ridgefield City Council meetings, as well as parks and planning commission meetings. She was frustrated when city councilors would vote for something that came with a cost, but didn’t have the cost breakdown immediately available, Salazar said.
“It’s made public, but you have to ask for it,” she said. “Those things should be discussed at our city council meetings.”
Ridgefield City Council candidates
David Taylor
Age: 77.
Occupation: Retired engineer.
Major endorsements: Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow, Ridgefield City Council members, Ridgefield school board members, port commissioners.
Campaign funding: $450 personal; unknown outside contributions.
Website: www.facebook.com/Friends-of-David-Taylor-867844106632976
Maria Salazar
Age: 45.
Occupation: Full-time mother, community advocate.
Major endorsements: Republicans of Clark County.
Campaign funding: Less than
$5,000 in personal and private contributions.
Website:www.electmariasalazar.com
Other residents she’s talked with said council members haven’t always been responsive or followed through on questions brought up during meetings. That, essentially, was the inspiration for her campaign slogan: Your voice matters.
“We need to inspire people to have a relationship with us,” said Salazar. “We are growing so fast and we need our residents to be part of this process, giving us input.”
The 45-year-old has been door-knocking to promote her campaign and wants to have personable relationships with the people of Ridgefield, if elected. She believes there are ways to be more transparent about city council happenings, such as taping council meetings or broadcasting them live on the Web.
She said she is concerned that there aren’t enough family-wage jobs in Ridgefield, resulting in long commute times, and that housing costs are getting too high for middle-class families. As the bedroom community continues to grow, she wants to keep an eye on the future to ensure infrastructure can keep up.
She holds degrees in nursing and business. Most recently, she’s been working with churches on growing their English as a Second Language programs. Previously, she was a board member of the League of United Latin American Citizens and has experience as a civil rights adviser.
This isn’t her first time running for office. Five years ago, she ran to fill U.S. Rep. Brian Baird’s 3rd Congressional District seat, but dropped out the of the race a few months after launching her campaign, expressing dissatisfaction with the “political climate” of the race.
David Taylor
Taylor moved from Northeast Portland to Ridgefield in 2006 because he thought the small city had “a personality.” There are several amenities within walking distance of his house at the city’s northern edge, and Ridgefield still has a close-knit, small-town feel, he said.
“There’s a culture here that likes their parks and likes the wildlife refuge,” he added.
During his two terms on the city council, Taylor helped pass an ordinance requiring new subdivisions to devote 25 percent of their land to trails and public spaces — a decision that aimed to increase livability. If re-elected, he wants to see the trail from the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to the high school get completed, and the new sports complex get built.
The council also supported the decision to turn over sewer system management to the Clark Regional Wastewater District.
“That’s a major accomplishment as far as I’m concerned,” Taylor said. “We have a forward-looking council.”
Ridgefield’s population and development is poised to “explode,” Taylor said, so he wants to be part of the discussions surrounding infrastructure and growth management. He’s particularly concerned about traffic and soil erosion along state Highway 501, the main entry into the city. He believes there should be bypass roads that create greater accessibility.
Taylor decided to seek a third term because his supporters wanted him to continue to be on the council, he said.
A retired engineer, Taylor previously worked at Northwest Natural Gas on pipeline engineering. He got involved with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at the regional and national levels, and serves on the state’s Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety. He’s still active in engineering societies and promotes STEM education within the Ridgefield School District.
Given the small campaigns, neither candidate has to register their spending with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.
