Wilsonville Is Losing Its Way
Anytime I go by Wilsonville City Hall, I can’t help but notice that something is missing.
While the building itself is certainly adequate for the functions it serves, my concerns are more about what is, and isn’t, happening inside of it.
By its nature, local government is supposed to be responsive to the needs of its citizens. Ideally, public processes are designed in such a way that the average person in town should be able to have their voice heard when important decisions are made.
I don’t feel that this is what has been happening with the City of Wilsonville for the past few years. Instead, what I’ve seen is a growing disconnect between city leadership and citizens.
The detachment and distance stems from a lack of public engagement and input. This is resulting in less transparency and more insular group think that’s further and further removed from our residents’ daily concerns.
In short, we are moving in the wrong direction.
Our basic, real needs are not being met. The outcomes are predetermined as the City throws good money after bad on ill-advised pet projects that will not serve us well over the short or long-term.
Rather than working on finding solutions to Wilsonville’s worsening traffic situation, City leadership is choosing to spend millions of dollars on a pedestrian bridge boondoggle that most of us will never use.
We have sections of town that have become blighted, with empty parking lots and vacant buildings surrounded by fences. The City could be working to draw the private investment needed to bring new businesses to those buildings and create more jobs. But grandiose visions of failed urban renewal projects are getting in the way of common sense.
I’m running for mayor of Wilsonville to get us back to where we need to be. We have a lot of good opportunities right in front of us, along with everything necessary to keep making this a vibrant, thriving community. What we’re missing is the elected leadership to help get us there.
It’s time that the decisions made at city hall are based on evidence, facts, data and best practices instead of emotion. Our future literally depends on it.