Q&A: Columbia County commission candidates on the issues

With the May 21 election looming, there may be a change on the Columbia County Board of Commissioners.

Ballots will be mailed May 1 ahead of the election featuring incumbent Margaret Magruder and challengers Alex Tardif and Brian Brust vying for Position 1 on the board. Magruder is in the last year of her second term on the commission.

Tardif has taken on numerous roles in Columbia County, including his present position as executive director of the Columbia Pacific Food Bank. Brust has served as a member of the county’s planning commission since September 2022.

The other county commission seat up for election, though not contested, is Position 3, held by incumbent Casey Garrett.

Pamplin Media Group reached out to all of the candidates for Columbia County commissioner and received responses from all of them. Their responses are published in full below.

What skills or experiences have prepared you to serve in this role?Brian Brust, Position 1 candidate: I have a desire to improve upon the way the county operates. I run jobs that require coordination and the ability to communicate to the highest level. I am in front of hospital boards doing presentations for construction approvals. It sounds simple but this is weeks of planning and development to understand every aspect of the job. I bring a focus to detail and a passion to help people of our community.

Margaret Magruder, incumbent for Position 1: I have a lifetime of experience as a third-generation Columbia County farmer, mother and grandmother, and have served in various leadership roles including teaching young people cooperation and responsibility through the 4-H program, and working with farmers across the state, nation, and internationally in my roles on the Oregon State Board of Agriculture and the American Lamb Board.

During my 20 years as coordinator of the Lower Columbia River Watershed Council I focused on a team-building style of leadership while finding solutions that meet the needs of property owners, environmentalists, and industrial interests. As an entrepreneur, I developed an environmentally-friendly wool insulation business.

Since January 2017 when I first took office as a county commissioner, I have been part of an effective management team that has worked collaboratively to address the many challenges that face county government.

Alex Tardif, Position 1 candidate: Having served as a Columbia County commissioner, I understand the role’s demands and recognize the urgency for leadership in shaping a vision for our community’s future. With a background in tax accounting and a deep understanding of finance and government funding, I’ve honed my skills to lead and establish successful organizations.

During my tenure as executive director of the Columbia Pacific Food Bank, I successfully navigated the organization to financial stability, achieving debt-free status. My commitment to our community service is evident through numerous volunteer hours across many organizations in Columbia County.

Casey Garrett, Position 3 incumbent: I was raised outside of Scappoose and am now raising my own family in St. Helens where we’ve lived for nearly 20 years. I’m active in our communities and a dedicated volunteer at local events and nonprofit organizations.

I earned a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, majoring in Architecture and Construction Project Management. I then went on to work in civil construction before starting my own general contracting business in 2006.

For the past 10 years I’ve served Columbia County as a facilities manager, director of general services, and county commissioner. I also serve as co-chair of the Association of Oregon Counties Governance/Revenue Committee, president of Columbia Pacific Economic Development District, vice-chair of NW Area Commission on Transportation, and am on the board of directors for Columbia Economic Team and NW Oregon Workforce Consortium.

My experience has provided me with the necessary knowledge and skills to be an effective county commissioner.

What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Columbia County residents currently, and how do you think those issues should be addressed?Brian Brust: Our county operates as if we have a paper mill or Trojan in it paying taxes. We have lost most of our tax revenue from industry or large business. We receive grants for every department and with that comes strings attached. We are dependent upon the state to afford to run our county. This is an economic problem that should be addressed. This means our commissioners work for the state and not the citizens of our county.

Margaret Magruder: Over 70% of Columbia County residents who are employed must travel outside of the county to their workplaces, experiencing high fuel costs, creating traffic problems and road issues. Long commutes mean that county residents do not have as much time to spend with their families and participate in their communities.

People who work outside the county are more likely to shop outside the county and that translates into a less than prosperous climate for small businesses. The solution is to bring desirable family-wage-paying businesses and industries to Columbia County. High value industries not only provide employment, their taxes help enormously in funding services, such as public safety, another major issue.

One aspect of public safety, which we are currently addressing is the effort to bring public health, our mental health partners, law enforcement, and the district attorney’s office together in response to the legislature’s recriminalization of narcotics.

Alex Tardif: Columbia County has many great assets, notably its location and the people who reside here. We are facing issues with affordability and livability, public safety concerns, and infrastructure deficiencies. I advocate for strategic investments in infrastructure that not only addresses immediate needs, but also generates long-term economic benefits for our community. I believe in supporting law enforcement resources in order to keep neighborhoods and residents safe.

Proactive county-led initiatives in land use planning is essential. In collaboration with community stakeholders, we must explore innovative approaches to housing options and stimulate business development opportunities. We can utilize our community assets, recognize our strengths, be resourceful, and ensure sustainable living and growth for our present community and future generations.

Casey Garrett: From a county service perspective, our biggest challenge is the ability to adequately fund road infrastructure maintenance and law enforcement.

Local property taxes fund a small portion of county operations and mandated services while we rely on a range of state and federal funds to support the remainder. Often, those sources are not adequate to fully fund their targeted programs, so the county general fund fills the gaps.

Historically, Columbia County had a lucrative tax base from timber and associated industries that offered good jobs and supported a wide range of local small businesses. For decades those industries have diminished, forcing residents to commute outside of Columbia County to earn a living wage, decreasing our commercial/industrial tax base, and increasing residential tax burden.

Strategic efforts should continue to better position our county to attract light industrial, advanced manufacturing and aggressively market our heavy industrial lands with river and rail access.

To what extent do you think the Columbia County Board of Commissioners needs to coordinate with cities to promote economic development and tourism?Brian Brust: I feel that coordination and communication is the best way to achieve a goal when working with others. If you have all the same people meeting, are you ever going to look at the problem or situation differently? I hear our county commissioners talk about meetings but until we do something different, nothing is going to change. Same people same ideas.

Margaret Magruder: I am supportive of economic development and tourism, and it is important for the various departments of county government, including the board of commissioners, to work cooperatively with the cities, the Port of Columbia County, and the Columbia Economic Team (CET) to ensure a fair and efficient process. However, the primary responsibility lies not with the county, but with CET and the Port.

Alex Tardif: Collaboration between the Columbia County commissioners and cities is crucial for economic development and tourism. By aligning our efforts, we can capitalize resources and share our strengths to grow in a sustainable and community-oriented way. We can coordinate planning to identify investments, streamline regulations, and create a balanced environment for business and tourism. Through joint initiatives we can amplify our county’s attractions and enhance our visitor experience while also creating economic stability for local communities. I have a track record of creating collaborations between organizations and will continue that as a commissioner.

Casey Garrett: The county Board of Commissioners regularly collaborates with our cities, port, regional and state partners to promote and support economic development. A lot of this communication and strategizing is coordinated through the Columbia Pacific Economic Development District, Columbia Economic Team, and our state Regional Solutions Team.

Each of these groups include city, port, and county representatives, along with a variety of state agency partners. The overarching mission is to work collaboratively to leverage resources and our respective positions to assist existing businesses, recruit new industry, and advocate for policy and opportunities that support economic growth.

It is also important for cities and the county to recruit and maintain dedicated staff who are focused on customer service. Often city and county staff work together while guiding customers through permitting and approval processes. Oregon land use regulations are difficult to navigate, so we need to work together to find reasonable solutions.

How do you think the board of commissioners can help facilitate and enhance law enforcement in St. Helens, Scappoose and throughout the county?Brian Brust: I believe that we do not have a budget big enough for our sheriff and the jail. The levy passed for the sheriff’s office — to me that means the citizens of the county agree. We need more deputies and a rock-solid working relationship with the sheriff and the cities within the county. The consolidation between Clatskanie and the sheriff’s office seems to be working, and it cost the city of Clatskanie less than if they had their own city police.

Margaret Magruder: The board of commissioners’ role in law enforcement is to support funding for the sheriff’s office and the Columbia County jail which are overseen by the elected sheriff. I am strongly in support of the jail bond levy on the May ballot, which renews the existing levy and increases funding to meet the rising costs of jail operation. The jail provides housing for individuals arrested by the city police forces. Sheriff’s deputies, whose numbers have been increased thanks to the passage of a bond levy last year, patrol the unincorporated portions of the county and respond as needed to incidents being handled by the city and state police.

Alex Tardif: The board of commissioners plays a pivotal role in facilitating enhanced law enforcement between cities and the county with collaboration, communication, resource allocation, and strategic planning. We can work closely with law enforcement agencies to see the local needs and challenges, and support in an effective way that serves the community. With proactive preventative programs and enhancing community police efforts we can create partnerships between agencies.

Casey Garrett: It’s imperative for the board of county commissioners to foster positive, collaborative relationships with our elected county sheriff and local leaders within each of our cities to prioritize public safety. While each of our communities have their own unique challenges, we’ll be more successful as we work together rather than in silos.

Providing adequate law enforcement will continue to become more difficult as tax revenues struggle to keep up with inflation and as we compete with the metropolitan counties that can afford to pay higher wages.

The county should continue to encourage discussions regarding partnership opportunities between our local law enforcement agencies and embrace mutually beneficial agreements that decrease administrative burden, increase patrol and enforcement presence and improve public safety.

What opportunities and challenges do you see for new industry moving into the area?Brian Brust: The same play book is used for every large business. We will give you five-year tax breaks. How are we going to win a company over if all we do is offer the same thing everyone else does. How do we make this county desirable to live in? What is the draw to get people or businesses to come to this county? How do we go about making it desirable to live here?

Margaret Magruder: Columbia County has industrially-zoned land, a major highway, rail lines, deep water ports and an airport. Our workforce is growing and becoming more skilled thanks to the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center and Portland Community College campuses at Scappoose which work collaboratively with local labor unions and industries. The Columbia Economic Team, the Port of Columbia County, the Chambers of Commerce, and the various cities are all working to site new industries, and the offices of county government work diligently to respond to the various permitting issues. Challenges to new industry moving into the area include the sometimes unwieldy state and federal bureaucracies, and individuals and organizations opposed to industry.

Alex Tardif: I see a lot of opportunities in Columbia County. There is potential for new industry with the available land throughout the area. We face challenges such as transportation and infrastructure, as well as the electricity supply bottlenecks. Addressing these issues is crucial for attracting and sustaining new businesses. The county must take a proactive approach in enhancing access to our communities and reviewing infrastructure to fit current and future needs. By addressing the challenges we face now, we can unlock the economic potential of the region and create more opportunities.

Casey Garrett: We have so much opportunity. Our biggest challenge is time. Our abundance of shovel-ready, light industrial lands are ideally located and well suited for manufacturing. Rightline Equipment and Pacific Stainless Products continue to grow and are great examples what is more to come. OMIC R&D and PCC OMIC are incredible assets for this area and will encourage future growth in advanced manufacturing.

Our heavy industrial lands from South to North County have highly valued river and rail access. Prospective projects like Next Renewables at Port Westward and continued interest in St. Helens’ Boise and Armstrong sites will eventually lead to great developments with tremendous tax benefits.

We’re attracting visitors to Vernonia’s Mainstreet as it’s become an intersecting hub for the Banks/Vernonia and Crown Z Trails. Our county campgrounds have never been more popular, and we have incredible access for river recreation with more Columbia River frontage than any other county in Oregon.

How do you think commissioners can improve their communication with constituents?Brian Brust: There are opportunities to have more input from the county, but the budget would need to be changed to allow one meeting a month in the evening. All of us that work during the day that want to have a say could finally have their voices. There is no change coming, though it feels as if it is the least amount of work instead of the most. Our commissioners could reach out and post to a bulletin board for every city. There are options, our commissioners just have to put forth the effort.

Margaret Magruder: We have an open door policy. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners’ office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Our meetings are open to the public either in person or virtually, and recordings of the meetings are available on the website www.columbiacountyor.gov. Emails can be sent via our website link: www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/BoardofCommissionersOffice.

Columbia County has a public information officer who issues press releases, maintains our website and our Facebook page, and participates in many local events and organizations to share information

I attend community events throughout the county, and I believe I am approachable. I invite the public to contact me with their questions and concerns at 503-397-4322.

Please tell me how I can improve communications.

Alex Tardif: Commissioners should be actively engaged with their community. They should be seen in the community, attending local government meetings, participating in events, and available. The commissioners should be using various media outlets to communicate and connect. The commissioners should be holding listening sessions for opportunities for constituents to voice their opinions, and engage the community at every possible opportunity. Commissioners can build trust and work together with residents to create the kind of community we all aspire to have.

Casey Garrett: One of the most important roles of a county commissioner is being accessible and responsive to our constituents. While there’s always room for improvement, I think we do a good job providing that opportunity.

We encourage oversight and engagement during public meetings and accommodate for in-person and virtual participation and post meeting agendas, recordings and minutes that be easily downloaded from the county website.

The county public information officer routinely coordinates with the board of commissioners, county departments, city officials, emergency responders, other agencies, and local media to provide updates and make important information available to the public through a variety of sources.

The Columbia County commissioners proudly embraces an open-door policy and should continue to do so. Constituents can stop by our office to communicate with staff, directly contact us via our website or email or by phone and are always welcome to schedule a face-to-face meeting if that’s preferred.