Mayor Chuck Bennett Seeks Re-Election. Cites Need to Focus on Devastated Economy, Homelessness, and Infrastructure as Priorities.
Bennett has been Salem’s Mayor for the past three years, and is currently on his fourth year. During that time, he believes he has consistently pushed for long-term solutions to the homelessness crisis, affordable housing, and the creation of a vibrant local economy.
Life in public service goes way past Bennett’s tenure as Mayor. Bennett represented the residents of Ward 1 for eight years on the Salem City Councilor. As Councilor, Bennett built a reputation for himself through a record of public service. On his website, it reads: “[Bennett’s] efforts resulted in extensive street, sidewalk, public safety and livability initiatives.”
Bennett has served on numerous amount City Council committees. He has served on the Salem Library Board, Cultural and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board, Budget Committee, and the Planning Commission. Outside of local politics, Bennett has also served on a variety of community and state organizations. These include the Pentacle Theater Board, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, the State Council for the Humanities, and Friends of Opal Creek.
Because of the coronavirus(COVID-19), Bennett wants to work with our small business community to help them get back on their feet. “These businesses are the backbone of our community – giving livelihood to thousands of working families and providing a vibrant economy that attracts Oregonians from all over to our city.” Bennett wants to grow local companies by using economic tools that are at Salem’s disposal. He is also a firm believer in continuing to improve infrastructure in Salem that attracts new jobs and promotes business growth.
A crucial objective for Bennett is that he wants to continue to make Salem a more vibrant and flourishing city. He plans on doing that by focusing on keeping Salem affordable. As Mayor, Bennett helped launch one of the most comprehensive “Housing First” programs in Oregon. He pushed for partnerships with state and local governments in order to properly address the homeless crisis. Bennett has also been on record advocating for our current infrastructure to be “expanded and updated, so that [Salem residents] don’t have to sit in unnecessary traffic, which produces harmful emissions.”
On a final note, Bennett also wants to lead Salem in a direction that protects the taxpayers’ investments. In order to do this, Bennett has supported and encouraged many infrastructure projects that he believes will help us pass on debt to our children and grandchildren. Some of these projects Bennett has endorsed are: 1) building a new Willamette River Crossing, 2) seismic upgrades on existing Willamette River bridges and City Hall, 3) maintenance of the city’s water and wastewater treatment systems, 4) improved flood control projects in South and Central Salem, and 5) continued development work to improve Salem’s streets and sidewalks.