Ballots for the Aug. 1 primary and special election went out in the mail Friday, which means voters could receive them as early as this weekend.
Only voters living in Battle Ground or Woodland, or within Clark County Fire District 3 or Clark County Fire District 5 boundaries will get a ballot, however.
In Battle Ground, three of the city council’s seven seats are up for election including Position 2, currently held by Shane Bowman. Bowman is facing off against challengers Josh VanGelder, a professional landscaper, and local pastor C.R. Wiley.
VanGelder did not respond to The Columbian’s requests for an interview but did participate in a July 6 candidate forum hosted by the Clark County League of Women voters. Although he has not been elected to office, VanGelder previously ran for a Battle Ground City Council seat in 2019 and 2021.
Wiley also did not respond to requests for an interview and did not participate in the candidate forum.
In a previous interview, VanGelder said his lack of experience is why he’s the right choice for the council seat.
“I’m a citizen of the city with a vested interest in how the city does and that allows me to represent the people rather than my own interests or those of outside entities,” VanGelder said in a 2021 interview.
During the candidate forum, VanGelder said he is a big believer of representative government and having everyday citizens represent the voters’ interests.
“It’s important to not have people who stay in there because we can get stagnant in our city and in our culture,” he said. “I think it’s good to have fresh ideas come in, rotate through and to be able to build off of the historical momentum that we’ve had but also bring in new perspectives.”
‘Historical perspective’
Bowman said one reason he’s running again is to maintain the continuity and historical knowledge of the council. He noted four councilors have been on the council for two years or less, and that makes having an experienced representative especially important.
“We’ve had a lot of council members move or step down or not choose to run again. I’m the most senior one left, and I think it’s important to bring a historical perspective to what we do on council and things we’ve done in the past,” Bowman said.
Bowman, who is seeking his fourth term, was first elected to the city council in 2009. While the city has seen a lot of changes, he said the most important issues for its residents have not.
“The No. 1 issue is always public safety. That’s our No. 1 goal, always,” he said.
If he’s reelected, Bowman said he will work to maintain good relationships between the city and the fire department and police.
Longtime issues
During the candidate forum, VanGelder said there are some issues the city has grappled with for years and it is time to resolve them.
“Infrastructure has been a long-standing issue in the city, with water issues, as well as law enforcement. We have been understaffed for a long time and that’s something we need to be moving to improve on,” he said.
VanGelder highlighted the city’s infrastructure woes during his 2021 run for office. At the time he said the city had an “abundance” of agreements with developers but failed to improve infrastructure like water service and roads.
“Adding streets is great. … It’s expensive and the taxpayers are already paying more than their fair share. On top of that you have to consider where to put those roads, who that impacts, whether you’re displacing homes or adding busy streets next to people’s homes where they have their children playing,” VanGelder said during the forum.
Another key issue for Bowman will be managing the city’s rapid growth. The city’s population has grown from 13,070 in 2003 to an estimated 21,600 in 2023, a 65 percent increase over 20 years. While new housing developments have popped up across the city, Bowman said it will take more than housing to keep Battle Ground thriving.
“We’re not a small town anymore. We’re trying to figure out what are the needs of our citizens and how can we provide for them, whether that’s getting jobs into town, with family-wage jobs, expanding our parks and open space, and making it so people can not just live here but recreate here, live here and work here,” Bowman said.
He said the city is going to need more developable land, especially to the west, to accommodate residential, commercial and industrial growth. Bowman said creating a greater supply of available housing will help bring down the region’s high housing prices.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to talk about residential units, but the only way for you to bring down housing prices is either a recession or we have more supply than demand,” he said. “People want to come here, and we have to figure that balance out.”
Preserving Battle Ground’s small-town feel and charm while also managing its growth is a difficult task, VanGelder said during the forum.
“That small-town feel is what appeals to all of us here. Something that I think is really important is the ways we can manage access and accessibility to Old Town,” he said.
VanGelder said he also wants to look at zoning for large businesses, preserving industrial development areas and spreading out housing developments to create less density which creates a “suburb feel.”
The League of Women Voters candidate forums can be watched at www.CVTV.org.
