Nov. 9—CANNON BEACH — Barb Knop, a retired teacher who serves on the Planning Commission, was leading Erik Ostrander, who manages Sea Breeze Court, a hotel owned and operated by his wife's family, for mayor.

Lisa Kerr, an attorney and former planning commissioner, and Gary Hayes, who owned a local publishing company for 20 years, held the edge for city councilor at-large seats.

They are in a race of six candidates for two seats on the five-member council.

Voters can choose two councilor at-large candidates.

The other contenders are City Councilor Robin Risley, who was elected in 2018; Jenee Pearce-Mushen, the owner of a Gearhart security company; Deanna Hammond, the owner of Cannon Beach Bakery; and Laurie Simpkins, the owner of Healthy Hub Massage & Wellness in Seaside.

Kerr held the edge with 24% of the votes, and Hayes followed with 23%. Risley was coming in third with 21%.

In the mayor's race, Knop led Ostrander 52% to 48%.

In a statement Wednesday evening, Kerr said she is grateful for the opportunity to serve, especially the upcoming code audit, workforce housing issues and environmental protections on the table.

"I take the fact that voters entrusted me with this job very seriously and will do my very best to live up to the tasks ahead," she said. "It is such a privilege to be part of the democratic process and to be entrusted with the well-being of our town.

"A lot of people helped me and supported me in my campaign and I thank them for all of their work and their energy. Working with them was one of the best experiences in this process."

Leading up to Election Day, policy issues such as housing and livability challenges that stem from tourism were prioritized by the candidates.

The city also has several major projects in the pipeline that need to be overseen, including the construction of a new City Hall and police station, the redevelopment of the former elementary school, a code audit and the collection of the prepared food tax that went into effect in July.

Knop has said that the first order of business will have to be helping the community get along again.

She has attributed increased animosity in the community to the coronavirus pandemic.

Knop serves as vice chair of the Planning Commission, which she said she joined in preparation for her run as mayor. She is also chairwoman of the city's parks and community services committee.

In addition to her city work, Knop is a founding board member and volunteer of the Cannon Beach Community Food Pantry; a founding board member of Cannon Beach Academy, a kindergarten-to-fifth grade public charter school; and a founding member of Seaside Scholarships, a nonprofit that awards scholarships to graduating seniors from Seaside High School.

As someone in the hospitality industry, Ostrander has said he can provide a voice for, and a connection to, local business owners and workers.

He has been critical of city leadership over what he has called a lack of transparency. He has also raised concerns about the lack of business representation on the council.

Ostrander is a volunteer firefighter for the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District and a board member of the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Kerr, who served two terms on the city's Planning Commission, made housing and protecting the environment and quality of life her top priorities.

She sits on the board of the Clatsop County Cultural Coalition, Friends of Haystack Rock and on the city's short-term rental task force.

Prior to moving to Cannon Beach, Kerr spent over 20 years as a public defender and trial lawyer in Seattle. She still practices law and has worked with nonprofits, including the North Coast Land Conservancy.

Hayes, the owner of Explorer Media Group in Cannon Beach, has said there needs to be continued focus on housing, protecting the environment and livability issues.

He said his experience would help bring balanced solutions.

Hayes has worked closely with local businesses and published the visitor guides for Seaside and Cannon Beach for about 20 years. He also published his own magazine called Coast Explorer for 20 years until 2020.

Hayes served on the founding board of Friends of Haystack Rock, as president of the Cannon Beach Arts Association and on the board of the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

Risley, a principal broker at Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty, has said that if reelected she would want to spend more time promoting the arts and addressing the affordability and availability of housing.

Prior to serving on the City Council, Risley served as a planning commissioner for the city and Clatsop County. She also sat on the city's parks and community services committee and was appointed twice by the governor to serve on the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission.