Engelke touts her experience, vision in mayor's race

David Rupkalvis, The World, Coos Bay, Ore.
·4 min read

Oct. 20—North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke urged voters to look at her record and her plans for North Bend when taking part in a forum with the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

Engelke got a unique opportunity to answer questions alone after her challenger, former Mayor John Briggs elected not to participate in the forum.

Engelke opened by saying the success of North Bend is very personal to her.

"I love this community," she said. "I'm a North Bender, and I'm proud to be one. I know I can do the job, and I'm qualified to do the job. I'm not here to complain, I'm here to contribute. I'm very proud of the accomplishments in the short two-year period. I'm here to move us forward another 20 years, not to take us back."

Engelke then answered questions from Ron Kutch, the vice president of government affairs and economic development for the chamber.

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What made you decide to run for office and what do you bring to the table?

"I believe in leadership, and it starts from the top," Engelke said. "The main thing I was to do as mayor is carry things forward. What can I bring to the table is I'm a relationship builder and convener. I've been able to do that for the last two years."

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What is the city council's priorities the next two years?

"Looking ahead with some of the development happening in the community, I really think the focus needs to be on housing, the chronically homeless and economic development," Engelke said.

She said with housing, all kinds need to be considered including emergency housing and workforce housing.

"How does a city help with that," she asked. "We need to be as business friendly as possible. Let's figure out how we come up with solutions."

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What kind of economic development plans do you have to make business easier?

"We have an opportunity in the area to support the first eco port on the west coast," Engelke said. "Are there any barriers that stop economic development? As a person who grew up here, I have seen the ups and downs of the community."

She said as a child, the economy was heavily reliant on the timber industry, which caused a local recession with the industry suffered. She said there needs to be balance and diversity moving forward.

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What can be done at a city level to address homelessness?

"This is not a North Bend problem, or a Coos Bay problem. This is not even an Oregon problem, it's a national problem." Engelke said.

She said addressing homelessness needs to be done large-scale, pointing out she is a board member with the League of Oregon Cities and was appointed to a homelessness task for with a mayor's statewide organization.

"241 cities in Oregon are coming together," Engelke said. "We're all looking at how is this affecting our city? This group is putting together a legislative ask, and there's going to be a dollar amount. We're coming together as a task force and figuring out the solutions together."

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Do you support the prospect of a shipping container facility coming to Coos Bay?

Engelke said the North Bend City Council has sent a letter officially supporting the project. She said the port would improve the economy region-wide, which would benefit all cities, including North Bend.

"How do you fix things? It's economic development," she said. "It starts with the economy. You have to have a strong economy to build in other things. I support it and the council supports it."

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What is your opinion on the jail levy tax voters will be deciding on in November?

"The reality is the cost of operations continue to go up," she said. "In government, we're usually locked in on property taxes and what we can bring in every year. So what do we do? It's not a city decision, but it's a decision that will impact our city. When our officers arrest someone and they don't have available jail beds to take them, it hurts our officers. It's going to be a county decision."

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What is your vision for North Bend?

"My vision for the city is walkable streets, a healthy, safe place," Engelke said. "It's a community that's vibrant and really embraces the live, work and play mentality."

In closing, Engelke told the business leaders she hopes to continue to make improvements to her hometown.

"I wont to be known as the visible mayor, the mayor who is out there," she said. "I want to be known as the person who moved things along. Things are going in the right direction. I'm the person to take you forward for the next 20 years. I will sit down and talk to anyone."