ISLAND CITY — Island City residents will cast their votes for mayor during the November 2024 election and can also expect to see an uncontested city council race on the ballot. 

Incumbent mayor, Dave Comfort, will face off against challenger Patrick Hemann. Comfort is seeking his third term as mayor.

Hemann currently holds Position 4 on the city council. He ran unopposed for the position in 2022. His term is not set to expire until the end of 2026.

For city council, Kevin Hampton is seeking reelection for Position 5. He is running uncontested.

The Observer sent questionnaires to all of the candidates and have printed the responses of those who responded below. Answers have been printed as they were provided by the candidates. Light editing was only done if necessary for spelling or grammar reasons.

Dave Comfort

Name: Dave Comfort

Age: 57

Residence: Island City, OR

Current occupation: Teacher

Relevant political or other experience: Served as Mayor of Island City – December 2019-present

Family: Wife – Debra, 2 sons – Jake and Justin

Hobbies: Coaching Baseball for LHS, golf, bowling, camping

Why are you running for office? How has your experience qualified you for the position?

Island City is important to all of us. The decisions that are made on its’ behalf are just as important. The last four years, I have worked hard with staff, and the city council, to put Island City in a position that we can create growth. Island City is a desirable place to move to, both residentially and from a business perspective. I want to help see that the processes that this staff and council have followed are serving the entire community.

What are the two biggest issues facing your community? What can you do in your position as mayor or councilor to address those issues?

The biggest issues our city is currently facing are infrastructure and roads, as the costs to maintain and repair our roads and infrastructure are extremely high. This includes roads, water, and sewer sercices. Our streets need some repair and the cost of everything is going up. Some of our city roads are also county roads. I want to work with county and state officials to obtain funding for our infrastructure that will benefit everyone. Making sure that we have done our homework to find out how to save taxpayers money by looking at every option available is critical. As mayor, the contacts that you can make are imperative. Whether in the business world or the elected official world, I can continue to make those connections to best serve Island City.

What would be your priorities in terms of preparing a city budget? In other words, if cuts had to be made in the budget, what areas would you try to protect first?

My priority is to have the budget be balanced. City staff are very important to me and their retention is critical to the function of the city. Plenty of our our local businesses have had trouble finding good candidates to fill open positions, so we want to focus on maintaining the staff we currently have. We have a staff that includes a total of 5 people. If we lose a public works employee, it may take us months to replace that person. Day to day operations would suffer if we lost any of them. Our city recorder/administrator and her staff help the entire community with the problems that come up. Bottom line, balancing our budget and keeping critical services and employees are key.

How would you help to ensure that the city’s business is conducted in an open and transparent fashion? How would you help to share with residents information about important issues facing the council?

The City of Island City holds our city council meetings monthly on the second Monday of the month. All meetings are open to the public and can be attended either in person or virtually through our Zoom platform. Our agenda and link to the Zoom meeting are located on our website: www.islandcityoregon.gov. As a public entity, all of our records are available to to public. We encourage citizens to attend meetings and reach out to our city staff with any concerns or questions that they may have concerning Island City. As mayor, I will continue to work with both the staff and city council to maintain an open dialogue and to keep city business moving forward. With the Observer, Elkhorn Media and EOAlive, we can reach our community to inform them of upcoming or concerning events.

Patrick Hemann

Name: Patrick Hemann

Age: 46

Residence: Island City, OR

Current occupation: Transit Manager for Union County (Community Connection of Northeast Oregon)

Relevant political or other experience: Island City Council for the past two years

Family: I am married to Suzannah Moore-Hemann

Hobbies: I am passionate about experiencing everything our local community has to offer. Whether it’s hiking through our breathtaking mountains, supporting our local businesses, or enjoying a round of golf on our beautiful courses, I’m constantly reminded of how special this region is. These experiences inspire my commitment to protecting and enhancing the vibrant lifestyle we all cherish.

Why are you running for office? How has your experience qualified you for the position?

I am running for office because I am deeply committed to giving back to our incredible city. With my experience as a city councilor and as a manager responsible for leading a team of 10 employees and overseeing a $1.2 million budget, I am confident in my ability to serve effectively in this role. My background has equipped me with the leadership, fiscal management, and community-focused skills needed to make a positive impact and ensure our city continues to thrive.

What are the two biggest issues facing your community? What can you do in your position as mayor or councilor to address those issues?

The two biggest issues facing our community are public safety and city transparency. As mayor, I will work closely with the Sheriff’s Department to ensure regular patrols and a strong law enforcement presence throughout our city. Additionally, I will advocate for an updated, user-friendly website and a monthly newsletter to keep residents fully informed about city developments and initiatives. My goal is to create a safer and more transparent community where everyone feels secure and engaged.

What would be your priorities in terms of preparing a city budget? In other words, if cuts had to be made in the budget, what areas would you try to protect first?

My top priority is ensuring a strong law enforcement presence in our city to keep our community safe. I successfully advocated for and passed a new three-year contract with the Sheriff’s Department, ensuring continued support and protection for our residents. Public safety is the foundation of a thriving community, and I will continue to fight for the resources and partnerships needed to maintain it.

How would you help to ensure that the city’s business is conducted in an open and transparent fashion? How would you help to share with residents information about important issues facing the council?

I believe that open and honest communication with our residents is essential to building trust and accountability. That’s why I will ensure that all city council meetings are recorded and broadcasted on our website for full transparency. I am committed to updating the website regularly, so everyone can stay informed about what’s happening in our city. Additionally, I will always make myself available to answer any questions or concerns, ensuring that every resident’s voice is heard and addressed.

Kevin Hampton

Name: Kevin Hampton

Age: 61

Residence: Island City, OR

Current occupation: Construction – Rogers Asphalt Paving Co.

Relevant political or other experience: City Councilor.

Family: Wife; 2 children and 4 grandchildren

Hobbies: Hunting – Fishing

Why are you running for office? How has your experience qualified you for the position?

It was requested that I run for office again

What are the two biggest issues facing your community? What can you do in your position as mayor or councilor to address those issues?

Vandalism to our public facilities – crime. Decline to answer the second part of this question

What would be your priorities in terms of preparing a city budget? In other words, if cuts had to be made in the budget, what areas would you try to protect first?

The budget seems to be pretty sound, no outstanding spending, so I believe it is stable.

How would you help to ensure that the city’s business is conducted in an open and transparent fashion? How would you help to share with residents information about important issues facing the council?

The community is welcome to attend all council meetings.