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Letter to the Editor: New council needs an experienced hand

November 2022 Posted in Opinion / Columnists

Jason Freilinger is, without a doubt, my choice to be Silverton’s next mayor.

As well as being part of the downtown business community and multiple service groups, Jason has been actively serving on city committees, task forces, planning commission and council for more than
a decade. 

He’s been a humble, thoughtful voice on a variety of issues including:

• effective communication and citizen involvement

• improving and encouraging safe streets for pedestrian, bicycles and motor vehicles

• expanding access and improving our park facilities

• upgrading our antiquated and ignored water supply system from intake on both the Abiqua and Silver Creek, to
conveyance systems, to treatment facility, and championing new storage technology for emergency use during
summer drought

• advocating for common sense solutions that make stable housing attainable and affordable for all residents of Silverton, and understanding that this must include a variety of models for all stages of life and lifestyle

His depth of knowledge about the needs of Silverton is unsurpassed and perhaps one of the most important factors he should be your choice, too. 

In this election cycle, our current mayor and all three councilors eligible for re-election have chosen to step away. This means that four of the seven individuals making leadership decisions for our community have very little experience in how staff and council collaborate to make policy and implement projects effectively and efficiently. 

We need someone in the mayor’s seat with a modest temperament who is already up to speed and able to patiently mentor new councilors, unfamiliar with the limitations of the position. 

We need Jason.

Dana E. Smith

Silverton