Are You There, Council? It's Us, Camas. 👋
Are You There, Council? It's Us, Camas. 👋
From Rejected Pool Bond to Future Plans: A Plea for Transparency, Accountability, and Genuine Engagement with the Community
Hey, it's Ry.
We gotta talk about the pool bond. Again. And about shattered trust. And the disregard of the community's voice.
In my last post, I shared the story of the pool bond, which 90 percent of our community rejected.
It's a situation that has led many of us to ponder the relationship between the City Council and the very people they represent. Most of us might have expected some reflection, some sign of understanding why such a decision struck the wrong chord, especially with Camas’ most economically vulnerable and fixed-income seniors.
When a proposal is defeated as decisively as this one, if often prompts change. Indeed, five of the seven council members who backed the nearly $80 million bond, along with the former Mayor and City Administrator, have since moved on.
But two remain.
Four years on, they're asking for you to trust them again. But have they earned it?
I can't help but wonder if our City officials truly grasped the lesson from the 2019. It seems that some have even hardened their stance.
During a 2020 retreat following the defeat of the $78 million pool bond, Councilors reflected on the event. What insights did they gain from such a public rejection, one that led to oustings, resignations, and a significant erosion of trust?
Former Councilor Ellen Burton believed that better consultants might have been the answer. Not a change in direction or a reassessment of the proposal's merit, but a better sales pitch.
I was reminded of this last month when our Fire Chief requested $75,000 for a consultant contract in order to “get” 51% of the voters and win support for a $40 million fire bond—a bond many of us are unaware of—seems to echo this attitude.
The legacy continues with our mayor, Steve Hogan, and incumbent City Councilor Bonnie Carter, who have their own records on which to reflect.
They acknowledged lessons learned, that they should’ve “slowed down”, “pumped the brakes”. That they should’ve acknowledged they “didn’t have a full deck of cards”. Now they tell us it’s all okay because they’ve got more “experts” and “data”.
These mindsets and patterns of behavior prompt me to question whether the right lessons were learned. Why the consistent failure to speak up or push back?
Why no NO vote when it mattered?
Ninety percent of Camas citizens disagreed with their vote and rejected their bond. So were our leaders in tune with us, or just listening to a small, 10% echo chamber? Perhaps self-reflection and learning from mistakes is not a strength.
And now, nearly four years later, the decision was made to replace the pool at Crown Park with a splash pad. Council Member Carter endorsed the approach and voted yes, guided by the same consultants they used for the failed pool bond.
So it feels like we've been here before. “You spoke. We listened”.
And now they’re hiring more consultants to plan to build it, right now, as I type this letter.
No kidding.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
As always, thank you for reading, sharing, and teaching.