North County election race round-up

The November general election’s deadline is 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, and The Reflector’s coverage of contested races is winding down. Though the majority of those races had both candidates speak to the publication in the leadup for the vote counts, a few had one or both candidates who did not respond to requests for interviews. Here is information on what candidates who did interview had to say, as well as the available information from the local voters pamphlet from those who did not.

Woodland City Council

Woodland City Council Position 4’s race has a previous council candidate facing off against an incumbent seeking his first re-election. Current councilor Karl Chapman is going up against Keith Bellisle, who sought election to Position 3 in 2017 but lost in the primary.

Keith Bellisle moved to Woodland in 2016 and is currently a music instructor with Woodland Music Academy, he said, teaching several instruments. His chief reason for running again is to provide a new voice for the council.

“I think fresh voices are important,” Bellisle said, reiterating he will offer “a fresh voice, a fresh perspective.”

Bellisle noted that growth and how to handle it is a chief concern for the council, pointing to Exit 21 off of Interstate 5 as a key challenge for a growing city. Bellisle commented on a ballot measure in front of Woodland voters in November that would increase the city’s levy to fund additional police officers, saying there are a number of residents who do not feel safe, but also others who are leery of an increase of property taxes.

“Keeping track of how often this (taxes) is the way we are going to solve this problem is pretty important,” Bellisle said.

Bellisle sees a lack of resources for people experiencing homelessness in Woodland. He also mentioned that if elected he would like to focus on creating neighborhood associations in the city, which he feels could help the city grow in a favorable direction. He said he’s seen “a lot of great work” coming from the neighborhood associations in Clark County.

Chapman, the incumbent, did not respond to requests for an interview. First elected in 2015, he has lived in the city for 25 years, according to information in the local voters pamphlet. Chapman stated that his first term has been challenging and exciting, explaining he pursued another term to help put Woodland at the forefront of industrial growth in the region.

Ridgefield City Council

The race for Ridgefield City Council Position 7 is the third time running for a one-and-a-half-term councilor, Sandra Day facing off against challenger Ronald Rowan this November.

Day came to Ridgefield in 2008, relocating from California though she is a native Texan. Although she’s taken part in big-city life, she said she’s a small-town woman at heart.  

Day was appointed in 2012, running again in 2013 and 2015 due to the timing of terms for the seat. She said her love for the work of the council made the decision to run again a “foregone conclusion.” 

Day cited her decades of corporate management experience as giving her a regional perspective, which she said has helped to build relationships to put Ridgefield ahead. Outside of the general concerns of managing growth in the city, be it through balancing economic and residential growth or planning for needed infrastructure, Day also said she paid particular attention to Ridgefield’s environment.

“As a kid, I grew up in a city park of 30 acres because my parents were the caretakers,” Day said. 

Alongside city requirements on parks and open space, she mentioned a desire to see a YMCA with a focus on outdoor recreation come to Ridgefield.

The developer requirements fit into a focus of Day and council on positive growth that fits the vision of the city. As an example, she mentioned a prior developer’s interest in putting a motor raceway on the east side of the city, which was ultimately rejected in favor of Clark College and Boschma Farms, a satellite campus of the community college in the works.

Day said the council is taking an active role in recruiting industry in the city, mentioning specifically bringing in Rosauers, a regional grocery chain, with a project set to be complete by the end of the year. 

With all the development, Day said Ridgefield can keep a small-town feel through its community events, such as First Saturdays. She mentioned her consistent presence at those events and others as an example of her commitment to the role.

“It’s not a part-time job to me,” Day said about being on council.

Though he did not respond to requests for an interview with The Reflector, Rowan touts connections in Ridgefield’s business community as a reason to vote for the newcomer. The owner of digital marketing service Designer App Studio, he recently became one of the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce board members and previously was a member of the defunct Ridgefield Business Association.

Rowan wrote that now is the time for him to seek elected office as he hopes to provide “a new voice” on the council, according to his voters statement, adding he would bring “fresh ideas and positive solutions” to the council.

“I believe there are workable solutions available that will enhance our businesses, community growth and overall growth of our city,” Rowan wrote.

Yacolt Town Council

One of five seats on Yacolt Town Council has a contested race this November for council, Position 5. Neither the incumbent, Rhonda Rowe-Tice, or challenger Marina Viray responded to requests for an interview, though Viray did provide information in the voters pamphlet.

Viray, who according to information in the pamphlet currently works as a purchasing buyer for distributor Church & Dwight in Ridgefield, wrote that in the two-and-a-half years of living in Yacolt, the beauty of the surrounding area “has taken hold” of her. She stressed a united focus on addressing community needs, saying that with a willingness to listen to citizens she has, “I will be able to serve you well with your best interests at heart.”

Rowe-Tice did not submit information for the voters pamphlet.