Ballots for the May 21, 2024 primary election will be mailed on May 1. So it's time to start thinking about who to vote for.
Keep in mind that when it comes to local races -- such as Salem mayor and city councilors -- usually the "primary" ends up being the actual election, since a candidate who gets 50% plus at least one additional vote in the primary won't face an opponent in the November general election.
There are only two candidates for mayor: Incumbent Chris Hoy, shown above, and Julie Hoy, a city councilor who is unrelated to Chris. So whoever wins in May will be elected mayor.
Chris Hoy is a progressive. Julie Hoy is a conservative. That's one reason why I'm urging people to vote for Chris, since I agree with him on most issues. One exception was Chris' support in 2023 for an employee payroll tax to raise revenue needed to preserve important city services.
He wanted the city council to approve the tax without a vote of the people. That's what ended up happening. The uproar over both the tax, and how it was implemented, led to an initiative petition that put the tax on the November 2023 ballot, where it failed big time.
Julie Hoy is making a big deal of this in her campaign, since she opposed the unpopular tax. That's fair. Incumbent candidates for public office should expect to have their votes on controversial issues become part of their opponent's election strategy.
But here's something to keep in mind. No elected official is going to please everybody all the time. Chris Hoy supported a tax that was soundly rejected by Salem voters. Okay, that's a strike against him. In general, though, he's done a fine job as mayor.
Which pays absolutely nothing, by the way.
Being mayor of Salem is a volunteer position, even though it requires long hours and a lot of pressure. Yet Julie Hoy has raised about $200,000 for her campaign, mostly from large donors such as real estate developers. Chris Hoy has raised about $21,000, so he's being outspent 10 to 1.
Those supporting Julie Hoy will expect a return on their investment. To my mind, that's another reason to vote for Chris Hoy. He wants to serve the interests of everybody in Salem, not just the rich and powerful.
Head to his web site to learn more about Chris. He's a likable guy who cares deeply about making Salem a better place.
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