LA GRANDE — Three La Grande city councilors are vacating their seats at the end of 2022 — leaving some big shoes to fill.

Two long-standing councilors announced in February 2022 they would not be running for reelection. Gary Lillard and John Bozarth have collectively served the city of La Grande for nearly 50 years. Lillard currently holds the fifth council seat and has served various positions within the city for almost 30 years. The sixth seat is held by Bozarth, who has served more than 10 years on the city council and more than 20 years with the city in total.

The seventh position is the final seat up for grabs in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election. Justin Rock currently serves on the city council in that position, but he is vacating the seat to run for mayor against Mathew Miles.

Molly King, Position 5

Molly King is the only candidate running unopposed on the upcoming ballot. King is the former owner and operator of Countryside Kennels. She also worked in public education for 26 years.

King believes her time working in public education has helped prepare her for the city council. She has experience working with a wide range of personalities and attitudes — having dealt with many students and parents over the years. She believes that her calming presence and strong team mentality would also be beneficial.

Once in office King has a few important areas she would like to address. One area she wants to focus on is small business. King wants to see local businesses be successful and would work to encourage new businesses to move into La Grande rather than nearby cities.

Transit infrastructure is another big concern for King. She said downtown parking and road conditions need to be a priority for the council. She also wants to seek a solution for the unhoused in the community.

“I’m confident in the skills that I have, and I will be a productive councilwoman,” King said. “La Grande is our town and it is going to be the future for our children, so we just have to make it be the best it can be.”

David Moyal and Denise Wheeler, Position 6

The council’s sixth position has two contenders — David Moyal and Denise Wheeler.

Moyal is a self-employed property developer. He currently is chair of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and has served four terms on the city’s budget committee.

“I have a lot of experience in how city government works, what its limitations are, what its possibilities are. I know a lot of people in the city who are involved in city government and different organizations, and those connections are helpful as well,” Moyal said.

Three major areas of focus for Moyal are building youth programs, improving housing and addressing drug use.

If elected to the city council he would continue being a strong advocate for improving youth services and programs. He would like to see Parks and Rec receive funding to create a community center, which would provide a place for youth activities during the winter.

Housing is another major concern for Moyal. He thinks that a lack of housing is holding La Grande back both in terms of growth and jobs. As a property developer he has experience buying derelict properties, fixing them up and then renting them at affordable rates. Moyal believes that this could be scaled up. Ultimately he would like to see a public-private partnership to get empty or abandoned properties back into the housing inventory either as rentals, rent-to-buy or for sale. Moyal also sees this as a good opportunity for a jobs training program.

Lastly Moyal wants the city council to address illicit drugs and would like to see other avenues explored to get people into treatment. One idea he has would be to look at domestic violence situations since that is often connected with drug or alcohol use.

“I have definite ideas and my ideas come directly from my experience,” Moyal said.

Wheeler worked for several years as a life enrichment assistant at Grande Ronde Retirement and has volunteered at the senior center. She also worked as a musical theater educator at La Grande High School and has been involved in productions at Eastern Oregon University.

While Wheeler acknowledges that she does not have direct experience within city government, she believes her leadership experience within both theater programs and church have helped prepare her for the city council. Wheeler says she has a vast knowledge of the needs and wants of a wide variety of residents — from the youth to older people.

Wheeler also believes she can bring a high level of energy and a strong work ethic to the council.

“I do whatever it takes to get the job done. I’ve never not completed something, it’s probably one of my greatest strengths,” Wheeler said. “You can always depend on me. It will be done.”

Roads and snow removal would be two main focuses for Wheeler if elected. She thinks the city council needs to keep roads as a top priority so they don’t fall into disrepair. Wheeler would also like to see snow removal handled differently — especially on main streets and thoroughfares and around schools and hospitals. She wants the city council to revisit the issue and discuss if another method could be more beneficial — such as how the Oregon Department of Transportation handles plowing or even privatizing snow removal.

“It affects our downtown businesses, it affects our doctors offices, it affects everybody if the roads aren’t taken care of,” Wheeler said.

She also believes the city should work with the railroad to figure out how to keep trains from blocking streets in town for long periods of time.

“I know that the council worked on (trains) not blowing their horns because they used to blow them all the time at night. I think now we need to work on not blocking the roads. It can be done,” Wheeler said.

Corrine Dutto and Cody Vela, Position 7

Corrine Dutto and Cody Vela are vying for the seventh position on the La Grande City Council.

Dutto moved to La Grande 18 years ago and works as a physical therapist. She has experience on the city council — recently serving a four-year term. Currently Dutto is on the city’s budget committee, the city’s Parking-Traffic Safety-Street Maintenance Committee and the La Grande School District’s budget committee. She also previously served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.

“I have experience. I’ve been on the council before and there is a very steep learning curve,” Dutto said. “You need to know the ins and outs of roads and how much it costs to pave a road, and you need to know about the library and the pool and the budget and how the budget works and your legal obligations when you vote on the budget.”

A major goal for Dutto is making and keeping the city livable. She wants La Grande to be an enjoyable place to live — which means having great parks, libraries, roads, police and firefighters. She recognizes that it is complicated to balance everything with a limited budget.

Dutto thinks housing is a high priority issue the city council needs to address. She believes it is critical for quality of life and business growth. Roads are another area of importance for Dutto. As a member of the road committee she helped create the list of road projects presented to the city council for funding consideration through the American Rescue Plan Act.

“I really love La Grande, and I want to make sure it is a good place to live and raise families,” Dutto said.

Vela moved to La Grande in 2010. He served in the U.S. Army as an active duty infantry sergeant and is an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Prior to his retirement in 2012, Vela worked as a phlebotomist in Pendleton and then La Grande. He has served on the board of directors for Union County Search and Rescue as well as the Union County Warming Station.

“What I bring is availability and an openness to be held accountable,” Vela said. “Everyone I meet, I give them my personal contact information and I ask them to do that, to hold me accountable. It’s an important thing when you are serving in any fashion, but especially in local politics.”

If elected, Vela said his No. 1 priority would be public safety. He wants to ensure that La Grande’s emergency personnel, first responders and law enforcement have all the tools and resources needed to operate. Vela’s focus on public safety also includes addressing the drug use issues in La Grande. He recognizes that law enforcement’s hands are tied due to the 2020 ballot measure that decriminalized possession of drugs.

Two other areas of importance that Vela wants to see addressed are roads and snow removal. He believes the road deterioration is linked to the city’s current snow removal policy. The policy states the city should be putting sand down on the streets, but gravel is used instead, said Vela. He believes that because the gravel is not properly picked up and is then driven on throughout the year it leads to the destruction of the roads. Vela has drafted a new snow removal policy for consideration if elected.

“I want to make La Grande the best possible place to raise our families and to operate our businesses,” Vela said.

Tuesday, Nov. 8, is Election Day. Ballots went out Oct. 19 and must be returned to the county clerk’s office or in drop boxes. If mailed, the ballot must be postmarked no later than Nov. 8 to be counted.