Piper

We are convinced either Chris Piper or Melanie Kebler would make an excellent mayor for Bend. The Bulletin’s editorial board is endorsing Piper. We believe that will be better for Bend.

Frankly it’s in part because if he wins, we can get them both. Piper would be mayor. Kebler could continue to serve out her term as a councilor.

If Piper wins, we believe the council would have better overall representation of the city. Right now, it seems the current councilors come at the city’s challenges with much the same perspective on solutions. We don’t have a simple way to show that on an ideological measuring stick. If we had to place Piper and Kebler and the other members of the council on that stick, though, Kebler and the other current councilors would be to the left of Piper.

We don’t think Piper’s election as mayor, nor Kebler’s, will mean a profound shift in the city’s direction. The city has limited tools and limited money.

The position of mayor in Bend is not a position of great power. It has marginally more power than other councilors in that the mayor runs meetings, has some control over what’s on the agenda and may speak for the city.

Any important decision requires the mayor to find three others on the council to support it. The mayor doesn’t run the city. The city manager does.

Still, with Piper as mayor, we believe there will be more representation of more perspectives in city government. That’s better for Bend.

One impression we have is a difference in how the two candidates look at government. They both look at government as a way to help solve problems.

But Piper looks at it with more suspicion than Kebler. That is not to say Kebler believes government has all the answers.

We don’t think there is an argument that one or the other would lead, listen or be more transparent than the other.

We don’t think there is an argument that one or the other has a background that makes them a better fit. Kebler might have an edge there because she grew up in Bend. But Piper has lived here nearly 20 years.

He has worked in business. She has worked in law.

He has been on the council, helped lead the Family Kitchen, the Downtown Bend Business Association and the council on aging. She has been on the council, worked as a prosecutor and as an advocate for victims’ rights.

We do expect serious consideration of expansion of Bend’s transit system if either of them is elected. Both have talked about that and the possible need to set up a separate transit district.

On some of the other issues facing Bend, such as housing affordability, homelessness, other transportation issues, public safety and so on, we would expect a vote for Kebler would mean the city would be more likely to continue in a similar policy direction that it is now.

On land use and development, Piper believes the state should change land use policies and look to make development easier. Kebler is interested in a change to state law on housing regarding middle income tax exemptions to make that more flexible.

But we would put money on Piper being more in favor of reducing state restrictions on land use than Kebler.

Whatever you think, please vote. We don’t think Bend will lose no matter who wins.