Washougal mayoral race pits veteran incumbent against Gen Z volunteer

The incumbent in the Washougal mayoral race is a retired military veteran who wants the City to capitalize on its recent momentum and make good on its recent promises, while the challenger is a member of Gen Z and community volunteer who hopes to make Washougal a more affordable and enjoyable place to live.

Washougal voters will choose between David Stuebe and Gabriel Stone in the November general election for the City’s No. 1 council position.

Stuebe, 62, was appointed to the Washougal City Council’s No. 3 position in March 2021, elected to that position and named Mayor Pro-Tem in November 2021, and moved to the No. 1 position after being named Mayor in September 2022, replacing Rochelle Ramos, who moved out of state.

“(I filed for reelection) because I’m having fun, and I really appreciate what’s happening in Washougal,” said Stuebe, a Washougal resident since 2007. “I have the time and the passion and the motivation to make things happen. … But I can’t do it alone. I talk all the time about how many great organizations we have. I think I’m good for Washougal because I can bring all of this talent together.”

Stuebe said the City is coming off an “epic summer,” during which it was awarded a $40 million grant from the United States federal government for its 32nd Street railroad underpass project and started to receive some recognition from some of the highest-level decision-makers in Washington state and around the country.

“Washougal has momentum right now, and we don’t want to stop,” he said. “We want to keep making the right decisions. We developed (a new) five-year strategic plan, and it took us a year to come up with that, but we now have it, so we have to execute it. We don’t need contention. We don’t need disruption. We need to make things happen. We’ve got to deliver.”

Stone, 22, grew up in Washougal, graduated from Washougal High School in 2019 and attended Clark College. He has worked jobs in several industries, including retail, insurance, and construction, and currently serves as a volunteer for Washougal’s Meals on Wheels program.

“I’m kind of the underdog, but I’m willing to explain to people what I (stand) for,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in politics, and I’ve always wanted to get involved in my community. But I decided to do it now because I feel that I’m ready. I feel like I have the knowledge, I feel like I have the drive, I feel like I know people’s concerns. I feel that I really do have the key to making this city vibrant. It already is a great small community, but I feel like I can really make it better.”

Stone said that he will “be a voice for the voiceless” and “listen to peoples’ concerns” if elected.

“I think the current status quo of doing things in this town has not been working,” he said. “I feel like the current government doesn’t really want to change anything. I feel like we need a new direction that’s more efficient. I just feel like Washougal needs to change, and it needs to work together because I feel like it’s stagnating. It’s not declining, but it’s also not going anywhere.”

David Stuebe

Stuebe said that growth is the City’s biggest challenge right now.

“We only have so much room to grow,” he said, “and we have to fight with state legislation and all the issues that are presented with affordable housing/no housing, and what’s going on with the economy and jobs and all of that (stuff). The state’s telling us that now we have to start condensing our city — instead of having single homes on an acre, we have to put four homes. And that’s in the downtown core. Is that right for a city like Washougal? I want to keep (residents) proud of what we’re doing and how we’re growing. I get both sides of it. There’s a balance. We want to have a really cool town where people want to come see us, but we don’t want it so big where living here is just not fun anymore.”

Stuebe said the City’s ongoing conversations with the Camas about the funding for the joint Camas-Washougal Fire Department has been challenging.

“It’s been a cluster for two years,” he said. “When I (first joined) the council, I knew nothing about it, so the first thing I did was visit the fire houses and ask (the firefighters), ‘What’s the answer to this?’ And resoundingly, they were like, ‘We’ve known this for a while, this is what we need to do’ – they wanted a regional fire authority. And then you get into the city politics. I still believe that we’re stronger as one, but Camas has got some issues going on, factions coming in and trying to disrupt things; even their counselors are split. It’s hard to make the right decisions when you have animosity between the team members that are going to come up with the solution. There’s been several times when I’ve met with their groups, and they’re like, ‘Done deal, we’re totally behind this,’ and then we have a meeting, (and they talk), and I’m like, ‘You have to be kidding me. That’s not what you guys said.’

“It’s going to take leadership to pull these people together, and I have a lot of experience with bringing people together. I learned in the Marine Corps how to provide leadership to bring unity and come up with that common good. We can’t be fractured. The nation’s fractured now, and until we come together, we’re going to be weak. I have faith that we will make the right decision, but it comes from leadership, somebody to bring all this stuff together, and I think we’re lacking that right now.”

Stuebe opens every one of his public speeches by talking about the positive things that are going on in the city and his belief that the city’s various organizations are strengthened by working together. He plans to continue to emphasize the positives while attempting to address the negatives if reelected.

“I think (my positivity) comes from 30 years in the Marine Corps, seeing the worst of the worst, seeing that bad stuff isn’t what we’re trying to strive for,” he said. “Because I lived that, and I served in that, I know there’s a better way, and I can (work toward it) in Washougal. It’s really disappointing that politics in our nation and the world (have caused) so much anger and hostility. We need to come together, and it starts in the city. If we come together as neighbors, and we can build off of that and help each other and be proud of each other and responsible to each other, we can build (great things).”

Gabriel Stone

Stone said that the only people who can purchase affordable housing and acreage in Washougal are people who are “well off” or have lived in the area for years, and that people who move to Washougal and lower- to middle-class residents are being evicted “on a massive scale” or losing opportunities to save money. He would attempt to change zoning laws and encourage the construction of “more efficient” units, which would be sold at “realistic prices” for the lower and middle class.

“Rent is too high, and we need to stabilize it,” he said. “One of the ways is to collaborate with landlords to basically make the prices more affordable for lower- to middle-class. We can make Washougal truly something that works for everyone, not just people who’ve paid off all their property. If I get into office, I’m planning on lowering sales and property taxes so it’s not as expensive.”

Stone wrote in the Clark County voter’s guide that, if elected, he would prioritize improvement and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation systems; expand infrastructure developments, roads and bus stops from the heart of downtown to less-developed areas; create more bicycle paths and a more efficient road system; and upgrade the city’s water and sewage systems.

“I feel like Washougal’s infrastructure, at least in the inner city, needs some work, to be honest,” he said. “I would (focus on) repaving roads public transportation. I feel like we need more bus stops and more efficient transportation. C-TRAN will do great with that, but I really do think that there’s some parts in our community that are being left behind. Some people want to take the bus, but they can’t because it’s too far away. I’m trying to make this community more connected and more efficient and (provide) easier convenience for people.”

“I feel like it’s very hard to start a business in this town, because there’s so many rules and regulations,” Stone added. “It’s hard for people to start a business because the rent is so high, and everything’s so expensive. I feel like if we can get more small businesses off the ground, maybe get more corporations in the mix. … we can get more opportunities for young people, people who are looking to get back into work. We need more action and more services.”