Salem — State of the City

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This week I attended Salem's State of the City address by Mayor Chuck Bennett. Salem is the largest city in Marion County and home to many wonderful people. Not surprisingly, Mayor Bennett mentioned that homelessness and traffic congestion are two issues that concern Salem citizens the most.

One of the things that I found most interesting however is that to address homelessness in Salem; the city is partnering with local area landlords to find housing for the hardest to house people living on our streets. I think this effort to work collaboratively with private businesses and landowners outside of the government is precisely what we need more of. Big government top-down approaches rarely work. I applaud the city for building relationships with local landlords to begin to address homelessness in Salem.

On Saturday, firefighters from the Stayton Fire District took part in a successful Live Fire Exercise. I appreciate their willingness to serve and protect our community.

Acknowledging the work of first responders in Marion County is how I keep focused on the essential functions that government should perform. The more expansive government becomes, the more these critical functions often become ignored. I want us to return to a more straightforward view of government to ensure these essential services are delivered to Marion County residents, urban and rural alike.


P.S. With six weeks to go, our weekly volunteer events on Monday nights are essential to get the word out to voters about our campaign. If you can help us, please sign up to volunteer.

Reagan Knopp