East Salem council race draws restaurant owner, occupational therapist

This is part of a series of stories on the candidates running in the May 17 primary election. Ballots will be mailed to voters April 27.

With the current councilor opting to vie for mayor, a restaurant owner and occupational therapist are running to represent northeast Salem's Ward 6, the most diverse ward in the city.

Occupational therapist Stacey Vieyra-Braendle and Julie Hoy, the owner of Geppetto's Italian Restaurant, have launched campaigns to replace Chris Hoy, who has represented the area on the council since winning a special election in 2017 and being re-elected in 2018.

Julie Hoy is not related to Chris Hoy.

Previous Councilor Daniel Benjamin resigned in 2016 following a controversy over a racist video depicting Black Lives Matter protesters being hit by a vehicle that he shared on Facebook.

Chris Hoy won a special election to replace Benjamin.

The race to represent the ward is drawing record-breaking contributions, with the bulk of the money going to Julie Hoy's campaign.

Both candidates say they wanted to bring resources and representation to Salem's oft-forgotten northeastern ward.

Who else is running:Learn about the candidates for mayor and other wards

‘My goal is to amplify my neighbors’ voices’

Vieyra-Braendle said she doesn't always see her ward's concerns addressed in the community. As a young, female, Latinx health care professional with invisible disabilities, she hopes to bring her lived experiences to council and amplify the needs of those living in her community.

"This is the most diverse ward in all of Salem, and I think over the years, we haven't gotten our fair share of city resources," she said, pointing to disparities in parks, sidewalks and walkable neighborhoods.

Vieyra-Braendle met with the Statesman Journal at Hoover Park with her dog Opal near her home in northeast Salem.

The occupational therapist, who also works as an adjunct faculty teacher at Pacific University and serves on the city's Citizen Budget Committee, moved to Salem 11 years ago.

She said she had long tried to be involved in the community by serving with the Oregon Music Therapy Association; working on a diversity, equity and inclusion task force for the Occupational Therapy Association; and serving on the board of directors with the Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality.

She and her husband operate one of the first Free Fridge Salem pantries in the city.

"It's been such an awesome opportunity to meet people," she said. "Neighbors that we didn't realize would make use of it are making use of it. It has definitely served a lot more of our community than we recognized it would."

Its popularity exemplified the need for support for homeless and economically insecure residents in Salem, she said.

Affordable housing, homelessness and accessibility are key issues facing the city, she said.

If elected, Vieyra-Braendle committed to advocating for more low-barrier shelter services, affordable housing throughout the city accessible by public transportation, a mobile crisis unit with mental health specialists, safe sidewalks on roads like Center Street, a branch library in Ward 6 and supporting local businesses.

2022 primary: How to register, change your registration and make sure your vote is counted

She said she'd like to see local government become more accessible and inclusive to people in the community, which could include reaching out to people in multiple languages and ensuring their voices are heard.

"My goal is not to be the voice of this ward — my goal is really to amplify my neighbors' voices," Vieyra-Braendle said. "There are a lot of people out here that have very strong opinions and very strong needs, and I want them to tell me what that is. I want to carry that into the room for them."

She said her experience as a woman of color and a health care professional sets her apart from her opponent and makes her a good choice for Ward 6.

She said she is able to empathize with peoples' experiences and needs and take an analytical approach to finding a solution that works.

"I think I'm very uniquely trained to do this work," she said. "And because of my work in healthcare, I feel like I will always put our neighbors over profits."

Learn more about Vieyra-Braendle at staceyforward6.com and facebook.com/staceyforward6.

‘We are in crisis and we need to do the hard work’

For 31 years, Julie Hoy has called northeast Salem home.

From her neighborhood and nearby business, she said, she has witnessed the city struggle with homelessness, crime and infrastructure.

Hoy sees families walking down Center Street near her home because they have no sidewalks. She said she had to call police when confronted with people experiencing mental health crises or setting up encampments near her business.

She said city parks have deteriorated to the point that she no longer wants to bring her grandson to them.

"I've been there for a long time," Hoy said. "And it's worse than it's ever been."

Hoy spoke from Geppeto's Italian Restaurant, the business she and her husband bought in 2017. She had been there since 5 a.m. and had just finished making a batch of minestrone soup.

Before owning the longtime restaurant, Hoy was a composer, musician, singer, author and public speaker.

While raising her family, she was also active in her church ministry. In 2001, she helped form the non-profit Friends of Pimpollo to work with underserved children and families in southern Mexico by providing education, job training and scholarships.

Hoy is currently the chairperson for Friends of Pimpollo.

When someone approached her about running for council, she said, she first laughed and then paused to seriously consider it.

"I feel as I've gone through this process so far with campaigning, I realize everything I've done may have been building towards this moment," she said.

She said her work in Mexico could help her represent the diverse population in her ward, which also has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the city. Hoy said she wants to connect with those underrepresented residents.

"They deserve to be heard," she said.

Hoy listed homelessness and mental health, the lack of affordable housing and the increase in property crime as major issues in Salem.

"It breaks my heart to see people on the street," she said.

But she said the cycle of the government giving things like tents, housing, money and food without conditions only perpetuates the problem.

"I feel very strongly that when you give someone stuff, whatever it is, without any form of contribution, then you just create more people coming to get the free stuff," she said.

The city needs to provide a "better kind of help" with more options for people with mental illness and drug addictions, Hoy added.

"The city has lost its boundaries," she said. "We need to have some structure for folks. And if we don't have that, it's just an open invitation for everyone who doesn't want to have boundaries."

Hoy also said not enough affordable housing and infrastructure were being built to support the growing population.

She said her long history of living and owning a business in the city will give her an advantage on the council.

"We need people who are willing to work together and reach outside what we know," she said."I feel new to this, which is, I think, a good thing — a fresh perspective."

Learn more about Hoy at juliehoy.com/campaign-2022 and facebook.com/JulieHoyForCityCouncil

Campaign funding

Recent elections have brought more money into Oregon politics, even for unpaid, volunteer positions on Salem City Council. Once races that typically raised about $10,000 in campaign funds, current council elections have brought in record-breaking amounts of money.

According to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, Hoy's campaign committee reported $44,872 in contributions as of April 25. Her biggest donors include political action committee Mid-Valley Affordable Housing Coalition and Oregon Realtors Political Action Committee along with smaller donations from businesses and individuals.

Vieyra-Braendle's campaign committee reported $12,767 in contributions. Her biggest donors have included individuals and the political action committee Citizen Action for Political Education.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Election 2022: A look at the candidates running for East Salem council