Camas change of government set for Feb. ballot

Camas voters in February will decide whether to replace the city’s mayor-council system with a council-manager structure in which a professional manager would oversee day-to-day operations. The Camas City Council voted 4-3 to place a measure on the Feb. 9 special election ballot. If approved by a majority of voters, the change would take effect Jan. 1, 2028. On Oct. 5, the council adopted a resolution that states, “The city council had determined that the best interests and general welfare of the city would be served by submitting to the qualified voters in the city the proposition whether the city should adopt the council/manager form of government and abandon the council/mayor form of government.” Councilors Marilyn Boerke, John Svilarich, John Nohr and Mahsa Eshghi voted for the resolution, while Councilors Tim Hein, Jennifer Senescu and Martin Elzingre voted against it. Elzingre opposed the resolution because he felt the city, facing a $6 million deficit, shouldn’t spend $60,000 on a special election item. “We can’t afford it, and I don’t see the support for it,” he said. “I cannot support it, especially in February. We’re sitting here trying to figure out how this thing’s going to work, so I bet the public is also trying to figure out how it’s going to work. We’d be rushing this to the ballot.” Hein said he believes that a February ballot placement is “too soon” and that the earliest the proposal should go to voters is November 2027. Boerke said that November 2027 “is too late because people need to decide what they’re running for, and those filing dates are in May.” “All the communication that I’ve had is it’s not like fireworks, (a) 50-50 (split), and fluoride, 50-50,” she said. “I don’t want to decide this for our residents. I would like them to have the opportunity to decide for themselves.” Svilarich also said that “February is not too early.” “It’s the right time because it gives us plenty of time to figure out our transition plan, and it’s also plenty of time before the May filing period,” he said. Current Camas Mayor Steve Hogan announced in September he will not run for reelection. His term ends in December 2027. On Aug. 17, the council authorized city attorney Shane MacPherson to draft the resolution, which would establish Council Position No. 1 as the council “mayor” and make any approved change in the city’s form of government effective Jan. 1, 2028. Camas currently operates under a mayor-council form of government, in which the elected mayor acts as chief executive and administrator of the city. The council-manager government would retain seven elected council members, with the mayor serving as an at-large elected position and a city manager hired by the council acting as chief executive officer. An ad hoc citizens committee previously recommended that the city transition to a council-manager form of government with an elected mayor, arguing the change would provide greater long-term stability, professional administration and accountability as the city continues to grow. The council approved Hogan’s request March 2 to create the committee, tasked with gathering information and making a recommendation about a possible change. The city explored the change in 2002 and 2018, when the council appointed a committee to explore the pros and cons of the different forms but ultimately did not proceed to adopt a resolution.

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