Camas council candidates have differing perspectives
Linda Dietzman and Steve Bang compete for the Ward 2 seat

By Heather Acheson, Post-Record staff

Steve Bang, a newcomer to local politics, is hoping to unseat incumbent Linda Dietzman for the Camas City Council Ward 2 Position 1 seat in the Nov. 6 General Election.

Steve Bang

Eight-year Camas resident and high-tech business executive Steve Bang believes that Camas city government can and should be run more efficiently. If elected, he said he will push for lower taxes and decreased government spending.

“I have yet to see an organization that couldn’t improve,” he said. “I come from a belief that you can always do better.”

Bang has worked in the high-tech industry for 30 years, and is currently director of global strategic alliances for Lumigent, which is based out of Boston.

The Lacamas Shores resident said Camas residents’ tax bills are too high, explaining that some of his neighbors have even moved because of it. If elected, he would lobby to reduce that tax burden and work to bring in business to help reduce the tax rate for homeowners.

“You can’t tax your way out of troubles,” he said. “You have to increase revenues.”

If Camas fails to broaden its tax base, Bang said, costs are going to fall on the homeowners and Camas will continue to be a bedroom community.

Although discussions about future Camas growth has focused on property located north of Lacamas Lake, recently approved by the Clark County Commissioners for inclusion in Camas’ Urban Growth Boundary, Bang said he believes there are other, better options that should be explored first.

There are acres and acres of commercial and residential property already zoned and ready to go within Camas city limits, he said, and they should be used before tapping additional property on the north shore of Lacamas Lake for annexation.

“There’s lots of acreage available for commercial development ready to be permitted with infrastructure in place that would not cost anybody anything in terms of infrastructure,” he said.

Bang said he supports the need for parks and open space, and is in favor of allowing voters to cast a ballot on the Metropolitan Park District that has been proposed in the past as a way to fund a community center — so long as citizens are provided with accurate, detailed information about all the costs and ramifications of an MPD.

Although this is Bang’s first foray into local politics, he has been actively involved in organizations in Camas and the surrounding areas. He is a founding board member of the Business Development Association of East Clark County, a board member of First Technology Credit Union, and a board director on the Lacamas Shores Homeowners Association. He also spends time helping to fundraise for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Bang, 57, and his wife Sarah moved to Camas from Wilsonville, Ore., in 1999. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a business minor from Illinois State University.

Linda Dietzman

In the past four years as a member of the council, Linda Dietzman believes the city has made some great strides.

Some of those achievements include the addition of two police officers, bringing the Camas Cemetery under city ownership, building two neighborhood parks, and hiring a new fire chief.

“[The fire department issues have] been resolved, so I do feel like I was very much a part of resolving that issue and hiring a fire chief that had more clear policies,” she said.

But the future is what is on the mind of many Camas residents — particularly growth and how it will impact citizens’ way of life.

Dietzman, 58, said the way to maintain small-town living while the city inevitably grows is through preparation and planning when it comes to transportation and infrastructure. She cites the Lake Road expansion and improvements as an example of how the city has already thought ahead when it comes to at least one of those issues.

Dietzman said she supports plans for growth on the north shore of Lacamas Lake, which includes property recently approved by the Clark County Commissioners for inclusion within Camas’ Urban Growth Boundary. The development plans as they have been proposed so far will provide positive economic development for Camas including industry, housing and mixed-use, in addition to preserving significant portions for trails and open space, she said.

“We need to keep good, family wage jobs here so that people can live, work and go to school here, and have other opportunities,” Dietzman said.

“It’s an opportunity,” she continued. “We’ve got to embrace it and see what we can do with it and plan for the future.”

Regarding the community center, which according to a proposal released in January had a price tag of upwards of $40 million, Dietzman said she supports efforts to generate as much private monies as possible before asking voters for additional funding.

“I have my doubts that we could raise all of the money, so I believe the voters should have a chance to have a say about it,” she said.
Describing herself as fiscally conservative, Dietzman said she is thoughtful and fair.

“I’m honest,” she said. “I have the ability to gather information from a variety of sources and make a fair decision for the citizens.”

Dietzman earned an associate’s degree from Clark College in 1970. A self-described “Jill-of-all-trades,” she currently works part-time in antique and collectibles sales, but spent many years working in finance and bookkeeping related jobs.

She is active with the Camas-Washougal Community Chest and is a member of the Clark County Mosquito Control District.

A graduate of Evergreen High School, Dietzman has been a Clark County resident all of her life and a Camas resident for the past 20 years. She and her husband John have two children.