Two seek election to Position 3 council seat in Yacolt

Yacolt voters will choose between incumbent Joshua Beck and Ronald Homola for Position 3 on the town council. Michelle Dawson is unopposed for another seat.

Both Beck and Homola are current councilors. Homola holds the Position 4 seat, to which he was appointed this summer, after he had filed for election to Position 3. He didn’t respond to a candidate questionnaire from The Columbian, but in a two-sentence statement in this year’s Voters’ Pamphlet he said he is a plumber by trade who volunteers “where needed” and is running in order to be “an encouragement and help to the community.”

Beck works as a crew leader and has volunteered for the town fireworks display, Christmas tree lighting event, and school activities. He was also appointed to his current seat after filing for election.

“I feel my compassion for my town and being able to listen to the town’s citizens is what best qualifies me for this position,” Beck wrote to The Columbian. “I believe I have earned the respect of the current council, and also the mayor.

“My top two reasons for running is having a strong passion to see our town continue to grow and develop united strongly with each other in the community. Secondly, I have been enjoying getting to know things since being voted in by the council since July, and really love giving back to the community, hearing our townspeople speak, and listening to their concerns.

“As far as national or state issues, I most certainly have my personal outlook on things, but being a representative of the town, it isn’t about my views, it is being a supporter and a voice of the surrounding community. Sometimes I will see eye-to-eye with what the town would like to do, or see happen, and other times, I very well could be in a minority view, but I can put myself aside and stand up with our town as a whole.”

Hope Martinez of The Columbian provided research assistance.