Just when we all thought the 2018 elections were over, Bendites realize that the City Council has to fill a two-year council position. This position will complete Sally Russell’s previous role. She will start her new role as mayor, where she engineered an impressive and historic win.

In full disclosure, let me be clear from the outset, that I believe my third-place finish of mayoral votes has earned me very serious consideration to fill the vacancy. I agree with Mayor-elect Russell that the process has to be “transparent” with no appearance of an “insider” game.

Hopefully Sally and the rest of the current council will agree with me that building “trust” with our citizens is our No. 1 priority.

I feel the council needs to make other governance changes advocated by the recent Charter Review Committee, such as assigning councilors to wards. This assignment will encourage more accountability and more listening with ward residents.

Which is why I feel it is responsible for councilors to reside in assigned wards. It is also important, with the direct election of the mayor, to encourage a vision for the city. I have been encouraged there is more communication from the city departments for what is going on the next few months. I look forward to more communication of what is going to happen in the next few years. This communication will enhance more citizen input for what they feel will work in their own neighborhoods.

Another example could be “Implementation of a new City Code regarding the financing of City Campaign’s” to limit the influence of special interest groups. Much of this will go a long ways to equalize citizen participation both on council and city committees from east-side residents, where I have resided for 28 years.

My filling this council vacancy for two years means I will continue to fight for a $15 living wage on the May 2019 ballot, along with the “Let’s Catch Up Bend” General Obligation Bond. As I stated during my run for mayor, this bond will include paving the seven miles of unpaved city streets, install 300 miles of nonexistent sidewalks and “hundreds” of traffic calming techniques (speed humps) in all Bend neighborhoods to slow down the cars.

I will also fight for 100 percent city funding of Septic-Sewer Project costs because of the poor city planning of the project. As well as an affordable housing plan (starter homes) in cooperation with Deschutes County (south county).

I also feel it is important to begin to scale back tourism funding, which will slow the rate of new residents.

But the most important is to complete past infrastructure projects ignored over the past 30 years before chasing the next “shiny object” in the UGB. Planning should of course, continue. But new residents must wait their turn at least until a “Let’s Catch Up Bend” infrastructure bond is presented to voters.

In the meantime, if builders, developers and Realtors want to provide the required infrastructure for development, they should include those costs into the pricing of their development.

I do not agree with those who believe that by dramatically increasing housing stock in Bend, it will lower our housing costs and promote affordable housing. Because “affordable housing” in Bend today is an oxymoron with the current median price home being in the mid-$300 thousand. To the contrary, builders and developers will build to “market value,” bringing thousands of new residents to Bend, leaving locals to fend for themselves, and the problem will remain unsolved as we go forward.

All of these visions, of course, are subject to receiving four votes on council for review, study and/or implementation.

Bendites supporting all or part of my vision are encouraged to email councilors at councilorall@bendoregon.gov and support my filling of this council vacancy in early January.

I intend to continue my vision to serve as the “Peoples Councilor”.

— Brian Douglass lives in Bend and was a candidate for mayor.