Referendum form filed for recalling the newly-adopted community service fee -- a Q & A on the issue

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 26, 2026

On Wednesday, a referendum form was filed – to overturn a nearly $20 fee implemented by the city council as an add-on charge to monthly residential utility bills. It was submitted by Greg Ellis who, with supporters, must attain enough signatures on the petition to qualify for a voter  ballot. Trammart News received questions on the process and wrote the following answers; The sources used to answer them are set off by parentheses.   

1. What is a referendum? 

In Oregon, a referendum has been referred to as a "direct democracy tool" allowing voters to reject or approve ordinances passed by a local governing body. It is legally set forth in the Oregon Constitution and is an Oregon law. (Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 250)

2. How does it work at the local level? 

A chief petitioner, in this case Independence resident Greg Ellis, files a referendum petition once an ordinance is passed. Ellis has done so, and now the clock starts on obtaining signatures to put the referendum on a ballot for voters. This process has been explained in fairly simple terms by the League of Oregon Cities.  ( FAQ on Initiative and Referendum )

3. City Manager Kenna West appears to suggest the referendum effort could prevent the $19.65 fee from being collected at some point in this process. Is that right? 

Yes. Some cities choose to immediately suspend collecting fees so that if voters reject the fee it saves the city the burden of issuing refunds. The submission for the referendum was certified by the Secretary of State Elections Division on Thursday according to Ellis, who said that the Independence City Recorder this week also told him all seems to be in order.    (https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/stateIR.pdf )

4. How will the museum, parks and library function without it? 

City sources indicate that there is money in the budget to continue these services – they have been functioning all year after the city manager declared the city "broke" in 2025. However, the budget approved by the city council seems to depend on this new revenue to meet its needs in 2026-2027 – including the addition of two staff positions. An ad for an in-house city attorney now appears on the city's website. (https://www.ci.independence.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BUDGET-2026-2027-AC-V2.pdf)

Councilor Dawn Roden voted against putting in the fee, but she stressed her no vote was based on the process involved and didn't reflect her  position on the museum, library and parks – she favors support of them. 

5. Will the sale of the museum mean no fees are needed, or if needed, not to the extent they are now? 
The city council, following an executive session Tuesday, authorized Independence City Manager West to continue into "negotiations" with a  potential buyer of the museum building. While alluding to the loss of the  building, Mayor Schwarzler said that the city's stories can be told in  alternative, "innovative" ways. Councilor Evan Sorce said he hated  having to vote for the resolution, but added that a museum and a building aren't the same. (June 23, Independence City Council meeting)

The city previously opened negotiations for the sale of the Sports Park; however, that deal is still pending. 

6. At the city council, the city manager appeared to suggest the library, parks and museum could be shut down. How does that work? 

The library would be unable to be shut down until a special legal process is undertaken. In fact, 

it means the library has to stay open. No governing body in Oregon, including the City of Independence, may abolish or withdraw support for a public library without first holding at 

least two public hearings on the matter, with the hearings occurring at least 90 days apart. 

(ORS  357.621)

7. Are there other factors that could slow down a shutdown of the library by the city manager? 

Yes. The Independence Public Library is part of a network of public libraries known as the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service, which includes more than a dozen libraries in the Willamette Valley. Grant revenue received requires certain uses, meaning in some cases money would have to be returned or repaid due to a sudden closure – such grant funds cannot be transferred to other city services or applied to other needs. (See pros and cons of federal, state and private grants at: https://grants.com/) 

Other options taken by Oregon cities to keep libraries open under financial strain have included establishing shorter hours, placing more reliance on volunteers and closer collaboration with nearby libraries – so that one remains open in the part of the week when the neighboring one is closed. (https://www.orartswatch.org/oregons-rural-libraries-crossroads-of-community)

In the Monmouth-Independence area, for example, residents of both cities have access to trolley stops near both city libraries. The MI Trolley is a free public transit service connecting the downtowns of  Monmouth and Independence. The trolley operates Monday through Saturday, from 7 am to 9 pm and Sundays & holidays, 8 am to 6 pm. ( https://www.mitrolley.org/ )

8. The city manager said the parks can be shut down. Can a city park be neglected and just go "feral," as was stated by the city manager Tuesday night, citing a term used by the public works director? 

No. Cities are expected to maintain parks for public use, and neglecting them and letting them to go "feral" could be seen as a failure of that duty and, at worst, a public health hazard. The city has said some areas can be padlocked from public use. But when cities face budget shortfalls, they're still required under state law to keep parks from deteriorating into unsafe places. (ORS 390.050) 

The city's own code, the Independence Municipal Code, governs the use of public property, including city parks. The code states: "The parks are maintained for the recreation of the public and the greatest possible use is encouraged, subject only to such regulation as will preserve the parks for the purposes for which they are laid out and the enjoyment, convenience and safety of all concerned." (IMC Section 26-373) 

Independence city law, under its Municipal Code, mandates that parks will be open every day of the year during designated hours. 

9. There have been assertions by City Manager West and Mayor Kate Schwarzler that decisions made 10-to-15 years ago account for the financial shortcomings today – apart from the constraints of tax Measures 5 and 50. Can this be explained? 

Although City Councilor Evan Sorce likened previous administrations to "stealing" by relying on certain past financial practices, City Councilor Dawn Roden asked if those practices –    specifically interfund transfers – were illegal. (City Council meeting June 23, 2026)

Transfers between different funds of the city to make loans or supply revenue to different funds are an option some cities have used – they're perfectly legal. City Manager West has attributed the city's financial squeeze (compared to the past) in part, due to the over-utilization of interfund loans and transfers. (https://legalclarity.org/what-is-an-interfund-transfer-definition-and-examples/)

Although the Independence City Council, including Mayor Schwarzler, has identified previous administrations as playing a problematic role, city councils have the final authority on many financial decisions. Under Oregon law, for example, city councils have to enact budgets before they go into effect. (ORS Chapter 294) 

Past records of city council meetings show that several current council members – Shannon Corr, Kathy Martin-Willis, Marilyn Morton – participated in approving both loans and transfers. With few exceptions, no major financial transaction takes place in any city without a "yes" vote by the city council. 

10. The city councilors, mayor and city manager all have said an ad hoc committee of the community recommended the $19.65 fee. Was the committee representative of the community?

That depends on your perspective. It certainly was comprised of residents. However, the committee was mostly drawn from the library board, the museum board and museum committee members. A museum representative, volunteer Vickie McCubbin, and an advocate for the fee, Erin Seiler, reported on its importance to the city council on behalf of the committee. Seiler, who announced she was relocating from the area, spoke in a work session in which she warned about not adopting the fee. (58-minute mark, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq4adhi6t-E)  

(NOTE: Prior to this publication, the above Q & A article was sent to Independence City Manager Kenna West, Independence Mayor Kate Schwarzler and Independence resident Greg Ellis, who filed the referendum. West hasn't responded; Schwarzler issued a critical  observation of Trammart News on an unrelated matter; Ellis had two corrections. TN updated this article  on June 26, 2026 to reflect that the suspension of the fee may occur at a point in the process before a possible vote. Thank you.)  ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 26, 2026

The Central School District Board voted this past week to accept the 2026-2027 budget that includes a plan to provide mental health service personnel to all three elementary schools – part of a longstanding program offered by Polk County. 

The budget that the board adopted Monday included money for the "mid-range" option presented by Polk County. It was approved in lieu of cutting the contract altogether – the original plan for the 2026-2027 school year. 

The new proposal included three bilingual school-based mental health associates – one located at each elementary school – and a supervisor, who can help with high-level cases. 

Superintendent Jennifer Kubista has said mental-health services remain a priority for the district and if new or additional money is received by the district, it will be applied to efforts aimed at reinstating the program at Talmadge Middle School and Central High School.

The funds to pay for the mid-tier program largely come from a half-percent withdrawal from the CSD contingency fund and some recently allocated state funding, which was higher than anticipated, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for the district. Smaller amounts to support the services were derived from other funds, as well, she confirmed. 

The vote was taken by a small quorum of board members, including Chair Byron Shinkle, vice-chair Susan Graham and board members Irene Oliveros-Vega and Andrea Van Heeswyk. 

Specific contract details with the county are still being ironed out, Mentzer said. ▪

Trammart News Service, June 26, 2026  

The following editorial statement was submitted by a resident who spoke recently at the final Independence budget session. He is a supporter of the recently filed referendum which seeks to recall the city council's vote to place a $19.65 fee on the monthly utility billing that was scheduled to go into effect. Trammart News welcomes resident voices. --AS

Dear Trammart News,

In a free democratic government, we the people elect representatives to be our voice. Our elected city council in Independence doesn't see this as their elected duty. 

In November 2024, a levy was on the ballot to fund the museum, parks and library. This levy was soundly defeated. One and a half years later the Independence City Council, with the exception of Councilor Roden, has decided to ignore the voice of the people. 

They have bowed to their own wishes and those of special interest. 

They will impose a service fee (code for tax) of nearly $20.00 to our water bill to pay for funding we, the voters, oppose. This service fee will add an additional employee to the library staff and (the budget) will increase the duties of the museum director. 

Many residents have spoken out against this fee. All of it fell upon deaf ears. This is without a vote of the people of Independence. 

This, in my opinion, is taxation without representation.

Thank you,

Doug Gray 

Independence resident. ▪

Trammart News Service, June 19, 2026

Trammart News is publishing a letter read by Councilor Dawn Roden at the last city council meeting. Several individuals contacted this news outlet over the past months to register concern about allegedly troubling decorum in city council meetings – conduct seen as inappropriate. This news outlet notified city leaders and local state legislators that evidence for lack of civility had been pointed out by others, including elected officials outside of Independence. There has been no response from the mayor nor the city manager to questions about this issue. 

The letter was read by Roden after City Councilor Shannon Corr made online accusations relating to Roden as "attempting to put yourself in the position of a champion for working people" while Corr noted that Roden had made a trip to a Disney amusement park with her four children. Corr's message concluded: "I wish I had that kind of disposable income." 

Though the posting by Corr has since been removed, Roden took her concerns to the city council with the letter.  (The letter below is as written.)  Corr hasn't responded to inquiries about it from Trammart News. – Anne Scheck 

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the conduct of Councilwoman Shannon Corr and what I believe to be a troubling pattern of communications involving my former husband and members of his family.

For more than a year, I have become aware of reports and communications indicating that Shannon Corr has discussed me and sought information about my personal affairs from my ex-husband and members of his family. Based on information that has been brought to my attention, these discussions have involved matters such as my income, child support, whereabouts when I am out of town, my activities, and information concerning my children, including whether they are at home or with me.

I have also observed public comments, Facebook posts, and statements that appear to reference knowledge of my whereabouts and whether I am home or away with my children. Regardless of intent, these circumstances have been deeply unsettling and have caused me significant distress. The cumulative effect has left me feeling as though my private life is being monitored and discussed in ways that are inappropriate and unnecessary.

As a public official, I understand that scrutiny and disagreement are part of serving the community. However, there is a clear distinction between examining a public official's actions and discussing their private personal matters. Information regarding my income, location, child support arrangements, and family life has no bearing on my duties as an elected official and should not be a subject of inquiry or discussion, particularly with individuals who are not constituents or residents of Independence.

The effect of these actions extends beyond my personal discomfort. When elected officials believe that their private lives, family activities, and personal information may become subjects of ongoing discussion or investigation, it creates a chilling effect on public service. It discourages qualified individuals from seeking office and undermines the respectful environment necessary for local government to function effectively. Throughout much of my time on the council, I have found myself responding to complaints, investigations, and allegations. This continued focus on my personal life only compounds that burden and distracts from the work of serving the community.

Most importantly, these circumstances raise concerns about the safety and privacy of my family. Public discussion or dissemination of information regarding a person's whereabouts, family activities, or financial circumstances can create unnecessary risks. As a parent, I find it frightening when comments or statements suggest knowledge of when I am away from home or when my children are with me or elsewhere.

The impact has been significant. I have altered aspects of my daily life because of these concerns. I have avoided simple activities, such as walking my dog, and have chosen not to attend some public meetings and events that I would otherwise have enjoyed participating in. No elected official should feel compelled to withdraw from community life out of concern for their privacy or their family's safety.

I respectfully request that appropriate boundaries be observed between matters of public governance and matters of private family life. Political disagreements and public discourse should remain focused on policy, governance, and issues affecting the citizens of Independence  – not on the personal circumstances of elected officials or their families.

Every member of our community deserves to feel safe, respected, and free from harassment. I ask that these concerns be taken seriously and that steps be taken to ensure that personal matters remain private and that all elected officials are treated with the professionalism, dignity, and respect they deserve.

Sincerely,

Dawn Roden

Independence City Councilor

(Disclosure: Trammart News has been the focus of postings from City Councilor Corr, as well as in several emails. After Trammart News attempted to get a quote from the former finance director, Rob Moody, during a break at a city council meeting, a shoulder-grab to prevent it was made by the city's communications director. A complaint was filed with the Sheriff's Office; A sheriff's investigator deemed the complaint founded. Corr claimed in an email to Trammart News the complaint should be withdrawn after that finding was made public. Refusal to do so was met with a harsh reprimand from her. Trammart News stands by its decision to file the complaint and considers attempts at physical restraint for seeking answers an action that should be condemned rather than supported.) ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 19, 2026

A review of Independence’s credit rating by the financial services firm S&P Global shows the city has an investment-grade rating of “A,” but its general-obligation debt rate dipped from stable to negative this year. 

In a presentation at a work session that preceded the city council meeting last week, Independence Finance Director Amanda Carey explained that S&P Global initiated the review – the first comprehensive evaluation by the company since 2020. 

Carey’s presentation included “key factors” that S&P Global considered when conferring the municipal credit rankings, including the local economy, the method of oversight, government management practices and the amount of the city's debt obligations.

S&P Global's review included positive changes, such as the switch from confusing book-keeping associated with the interfund transfers and loans among different funds – but the evaluation also identified ongoing problem areas. 

The burden of city debt was identified as a weakness and there is a one-in-three likelihood that the city’s 2025 fiscal recovery plan won’t be able to be fully implemented anytime soon, according to the findings of S&P Global.

The fiscal recovery plan was delivered to the city last year after a study by experts from a federal program for distressed cities. It laid out the steps to be taken to improve the city’s chances for reaching solid financial footing. 

One proposal supported in it has been undertaken: the sale of certain park lands and the museum building. However, there has been no change of ownership on any of the property so far, according to current real estate listings. 

Despite an announcement by Mayor Kate Schwarzler that the sports fields had been sold, which the mayor affirmed in one of her pub talks held in past months, the sale remains on pending status, according to sources familiar with the proposed deal. 

The museum, also on the sales market, continues to cost the city money for a mortgage taken out on the building at C and 2nd streets a few years ago. 

The loan was undertaken after a proposed sale of the city’s “Polk Street property” to finance the building's purchase was withdrawn by former City Manager Tom Pessemier. He reported at the time that a deed restriction had turned up on the donated land there. That land has been placed for sale by the current administration, following the approval of the city council. 

Carey reviewed a long history of financial shortcomings for the city, including low and fluctuating money in General Fund reserves. The General Fund pays for much of the city’s operation, including the payroll of the Independence Police Department, which accounts for the largest slice of personnel costs annually. 

In 2017, the city’s then-auditor, Kamala Austin, said that the debt could turn worrisome in five-to-ten years. Two current city councilors – Marilyn Morton and Kathy Martin-Willis – were part of that city council, which was headed by Mayor John McArdle.

The suggestion was brushed off by McArdle, and a follow-up by Trammart News at the time indicated the auditor’s comments were seen as speculative and not within the scope of an annual audit. 

None of the three has responded to inquiries by Trammart News on the matter. 

Much of the present financial squeeze is linked to the under-performance of the Urban Renewal Agency, Carey pointed out. An Urban Renewal Agency – which is the city council when it convenes to take on that role – is responsible for development in specific areas that are designated in need of new building or rehabilitation, according to land-use law as defined in Oregon statutes. 

The most visible and recent project of urban renewal in Independence is along the riverfront, a stretch now known as Independence Landing.

The S&P Global report is perceived as important because the city is expected to embark on development and construction of a water-treatment plant that is anticipated to cost an estimated $44 million. Documents available on the city website reflect millions more in needed upgrades and additions to city utility systems over the next few years. 

(Note: This article represents a short summary of the material  presented by Carey. The full report can be found in the June 9, 2026 City Council  agenda packet under "Work Session" at the city's website.) ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 19, 2026

Polk County Sheriff's deputies increased traffic stops 26% over last year's numbers, which rose from 807 to 1,017 – but even those results aren't lessening concern about speeding motorists on Highway 22. 

In a report to the Polk County Board of Commissioners this past Tuesday, Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton acknowledged he's lower on resources due to the county budget squeeze. However, "we are working to curb dangerous driving before it results in tragedy." 

There has been strategic reallocation of patrol time to "high-visibility traffic enforcement," Garton explained.

After Garton's presentation, all three commissioners voiced ongoing worry about the Highway 22 corridor and singled out the interchange at Highway 51 into Independence as a danger zone (photo). 

Citing the combined problem of negligence and speed, Commissioner Craig Pope said he thinks it is being attributed to driving "behavior" at the state level. "But I would like to see the data," he said. 

The 51-22 juncture appeared to be on the minds of commissioners as the result of another crash there this past weekend. 

Over a 14-year period beginning in 2010, there were 43 fatal crashes at that spot, and 1,296 non-fatal collisions, according to data compiled by the Polk Co Scanner from the Oregon Department of Transportation. 

More contact between the county and the Oregon State Police and the Salem Police Department would be beneficial, Pope said.  Both agencies have newly named heads with long-serving experience and there is room for new relationship building, Pope observed.  

Speeding on major arterial highways across the nation has been increasing every year since the first survey on it about 25 years ago, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And Forbes'  list of worst drivers by state puts Oregon squarely in the middle tier. 

In fact, Oregon driving is seen by some as having deteriorated to the point of satire. The hiking website "This Oregon Life" headlined a story last year by announcing Oregon was replacing stop signs with "gentle suggestions" in order to avoid "harmful command language." 

The county commissioners began looking at the 51-22 intersection in 2019 – and by 2024 were focusing on it intensely for safety reasons. 

In an address to the Independence City Council about 20 months ago, Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst told the council: "We've done a lot of work," a reference to planning stages that have been in the works, including an overpass at the interchange of Highways 22 and 51 – it's considered a priority. 

However, ODOT's plan for safety improvements along Highway 22 from West Salem to Dallas has been beset by delays. So, last year, a project was undertaken by the county commissioners as a temporary solution – it made risky left turns from HWY 51 to westbound HWY 22 there a thing of the past. 

The strategic placement of tube-posts, which are bright orange with white stripes, now prevent such turns. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 12, 2026

A new city ordinance that would add nearly $20 to monthly utility bills for "community services" was delayed from going into effect for another 10 days by City Councilor Dawn Roden, who voted against the resolution at Tuesday's city council meeting. 

Now, a second vote will be needed to enact the ordinance, delaying both the adoption of the measure and a filing that's expected to be done for a citizen-backed referendum to repeal it. 

The vote for the new fee is scheduled for the June 23 city council meeting. The initiating action for a referendum to repeal that fee is expected to be filed by resident Greg Ellis shortly after the fee is enacted.

Trammart News has received confirmation from about two dozen residents that they support Ellis's effort for repeal. Oregon law apparently provides for removal of non-essential fees that lack voter approval and receive the mandatory number of signatures to qualify for placement on a ballot. 

The vote for the nearly $20 fee came after the mayor, as well as several city councilors, explained why they were in favor of the $19.65 addition to water-utility bills. Both Mayor Kate Schwarzler and City Manager Kenna West said that it was similar to other city fees that have been put into effect by Oregon cities. However, a review of those city fees by Trammart News found them to be different when used as comparative examples. 

Among the cities mentioned at the meeting was Fairview, which established a $35 fee for public safety in its budget – but the fee is only for police and emergency services, which are deemed "essential city services" by the state. In contrast, the nearly $20 fee in Independence is for non-essential ones: museum, library and parks. 

City Councilor Shannon Corr pointed out that Monmouth has a public safety fee – but inquiries to several residents of that city by Trammart News indicated they consider any fee to help subsidize the Monmouth Police Department different from one that adds dollars to utilities for other services. 

Under the current budget, a position for the library will be added as well as using tourism funds to expand the role of the current museum director. The $17 fee now being collected for public safety in Independence will drop to $10, leaving about a $12 increase in the fee schedule when the new fee goes into effect in July, West pointed out. 

West also noted that Corvallis has a "litany of fees" like those presented to Independence. 

Trammart News checked with Corvallis and those fees were implemented only after a successful vote for a "livability levy" by city residents. The opposite outcome occurred in Independence. A similar levy for a community services fee was defeated by Independence voters two years ago by a 3-to-2 margin. 

Schwarzler said "there is a lot of confusion around fees and how that has been portrayed in the press." However, questions to Schwarzler by Trammart News haven't been answered and the mayor said she supports a press ban by the city that reportedly disallows contact with this local news service.

During one fairly recent encounter with Trammart News, Schwarzler stated: "I don't have to talk to you." 

At the council meeting, Schwarzler urged reliance on information from the city. However, in voting against the ordinance, Roden said the new fee is perceived by many residents as "back-dooring" into paying a subsidy that was rejected by voters. 

At the start of the meeting, Erin McIntosh, a member of the Independence Parks Board, seemed to agree with that view. In public testimony, McIntosh told councilors that she is an advocate for parks and a longtime supporter of reinstating the municipal swimming pool, but against the new fee. 

In view of the defeat of the levy by popular vote, “I feel this is a back door to do that, and I feel it is inappropriate," she said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 12, 2026

The Central School District will examine several ways to pay for school-based mental health services threatened by recent budget cuts, including reducing the school year by putting in one or more furlough days.

That decision – to examine furlough days as a possible revenue source – was approved by the Central School District Board in a unanimous vote Monday. The action allows the district to look at that option for funding. 

Other alternatives to be discussed include tapping into the contingency fund and making further reductions in other services. “We could look at lots of different things,” said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista. 

“There was no intention to find this money all in one place,” added Board Chair Byron Shinkle.

The board vote came after several members of the public testified in favor of keeping school-based mental health services, which are provided under a contract with Polk County. 

The proposed cuts in mental health services appeared to shock the community in recent weeks. Emily McNulty, a parent who helped initiate the effort to stop the cuts, kicked it off by placing the news on social media, which ignited online protests. 

At the meeting Monday night, Dana Goodale, who has children in the school district, spoke publicly about unexpectedly learning of the program’s likely end in mid-May. 

She identified herself as program manager of the county’s school-based mental health operation and explained that word of the program’s elimination arrived shortly after she presumed contract renewal for it was underway. 

Several children and youth also testified about what the program has meant to them. 

A third-grader from Independence Elementary School stressed that “these are people who can help when you’re sad or mad.” A girl who had been assaulted when she was very young told those at the meeting that the mental health services she received enabled her to stay the course in school, even as daily struggles continue for her. 

Olive, a graduate in this year’s 2026 high school class, testified about a stressful aspect: cell phones. 

As a Rotary Exchange student who studied abroad, she had seen how complete cell phone bans in the country where she'd lived relieved students of outside distractions and promoted learning. 

Stricter policies on cell phones are finding favor among teachers in CSD, too. The present ban doesn't go far enough, according to some. 

Allowing students to carry the devices throughout the day turns educators into "hallway enforcers" during passing periods – many teens whip out phones at that time, several teachers said. 

In this way, some students use them for video-filming other students, teachers and staff, who may then find themselves posted online without permission. 

Brief interviews with several teachers outside the last budget session and after the school board meeting indicate that many consider the mental health services critical to school functioning. 

However, by enabling the district to raise money through furlough days, the board put teachers "between a rock and a hard place," said Nathan Muti, who is president of the Central Education Association. 

Resistance to that approach could make it look like teachers aren't supporting the funding of mental health services, when in fact they're advocating for it, he said. 

The push to find funding for mental health services is occurring during a period in which contract negotiations with the CEA have been "dragging on" in the words of one who’s involved in the process. The resolution of the contract is unlikely to occur any time soon, Muti said. 

The budget cuts to save mental health services are expected to come before the board on June 22. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 12, 2026

They're speedy wing-beaters with an aerial mating dance that forms clouds – that's how a historic science publication describes gnats and midges. 

If you use Independence's river path regularly, you may know these tiny insects on an intimate basis. Perhaps you've accidentally walked directly into a swarm of them (photo), swallowing or inhaling a creature smaller than a flax seed.

That encounter has been reported by some who have strolled between Ash Creek and the boat ramp this past month. Fortunately, the result is only a minuscule dose of extra protein. 

"Your body digests them the same as any other protein-rich food," according to Bobbi Pritt, MD, a microbiologist, pathologist and director of the clinical parasitology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic. Pritt helpfully dispenses this advice on the website of the College of American Pathologists, where the experience is characterized by these medical experts as "shock and disgust." 

The up-your-nose, in-your-mouth ingestion along the river path also has sparked a debate. Are they gnats or are they midges? Both insects look like flying black dots to human eyeballs. 

There's a difference, although for the most part both are usually equally harmless to people in the Willamette Valley. 

Gnats have thinner wings and midges have short, stubby antenna.  Distinguishing gnats from midges is next to impossible under normal circumstances. This observation comes from the journal Biology Insights. 

Without examination under a dissection microscope or a powerful magnifying glass, differences go unseen. But fortunately, distinguishing features don't make that much difference in terms of public health. 

However, around the turn of the 20th Century, an intrepid scientist, Edward Knobel, made detailed drawings of midges and gnats, to show their anatomy, greatly enlarged for anyone interested in viewing it. 

His text is now in the Smithsonian, under the title "Mosquitoes, Gnats, Craneflies, Midges and Flies of the Northern States." Published in 1897, it is believed to be the most far-ranging collection of artistic renderings of gnats and midges ever created. 

The only certain way to know whether you have imbibed a midge or gnat – both inhabit similar environments – is to capture a lookalike from the same hovering group and examine it.

There is a way to trap them. An authority on it – a former surgeon, the late Oregonian Jean Natter, who regularly published a widely read blog on these uber-miniature pests – suggested a small square of sticky paper. Apparently, they fly into that as easily as they do human orifices. 

Of course, at that point, you'd either need high-power binoculars or a passing entomologist to know for sure whether you had a midge or gnat in your system. 

Worth noting is that either one is easily dispatched by the stomach acid in the digestive tract, according to multiple health-information sources. 

Swarms of both midges and gnats can occur during summer months, so whichever one they are, they may be a fairly common occurrence along the Willamette River until fall, depending on the weather. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 5, 2026

Parents, teachers and students in Central School District who called for revising the proposed budget clinched victory Monday night by convincing committee members to preserve school-based mental health services that were slated to be cut. 

In a 12-1 decision, the budget committee (photo) sent the 2026-2027 budget to the school board with a provision: A directive to keep the mental health specialists at district schools that have been provided under a contract with Polk County. “It ensures equitable access to mental services to all of our kids,” said Emily McNulty, who testified during the public comment period at the meeting. 

With a crowd of about two dozen audience members seated behind her, McNulty told the committee that some families simply cannot afford to privately access those services for their children. Youth who feel they need help can get it onsite during the school day, she noted. 

McNulty’s statements were made after the committee opened the meeting for public testimony, which hadn’t originally been scheduled. However, last week a storm of objections posted on social media about the pending loss prompted an invitation for sharing outside views at the meeting, according to several parents. The meeting was held in Henry Hawk Hall at district headquarters. 

Britta Centoni, who is both a parent and a therapist who’s worked in the Polk County school-based system, said the cuts were planned “without collaboration,” which contrasts with the district’s strategic goals of transparency and partnership.

There’s a responsible way to do this and we have to figure out how to do this together,” she said. 

Without availability to mental health counseling among youth and teens who need a place to turn for help, vulnerability to addiction and suicide can be heightened, as well as the risk for dropping out of school, Centoni said. “It is really hard to put a dollar amount on the outcomes of prevention,” she stressed. 

The district website offers video vignettes of the hardships faced by high school students. 

In one, titled “Valor,” a Hispanic student grapples with the isolation that can occur in a different ethnicity. In another, “Stuck,” the pain of loneliness from being ignored or excluded is portrayed. In “Alone,” the myriad stressors, from anxiety to depression, are explored and revealed in what seems to be an ordinary teen life – jock, valedictorian, popular girl.

A relatively high percentage of those in the school district require mental health services. During the 2025-26 school year, 660 students in CSD received ongoing support through the Polk County School Based Mental Health program, according to a letter sent to the school board and budget committee from Brent DeMoe, director of Polk County Family and Community Outreach. 

“On average, that means one out of every four students in the district accessed regular check-ins, groups, individual therapy or skill-building support throughout the year,” DeMoe stated in the letter. The district’s relationship with the program stretches over 27 years, he added.

Public comments at the meeting were made after a presentation on the budget pressures that have plagued the district. Losses have mounted due to factors ranging from slashes of federal and state funding to the decline in enrollment, which means per-pupil revenue is going down. “There has been a massive decrease in enrollment,” said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista. 

For example, Central High School began the year with an enrollment of 944 and it’s now at 917. The downward trajectory is continuing – and is expected to persist for the next several years, she said. 

The birth rate is dropping but so is enrollment of school-aged children, according to Kubista. She said the list of those who opt not to go to Central District schools this year includes 276 who left to go online instead; 161 who are home-schooled; 87 who went outside the district to other educational facilities; 68 who are unaccounted for. 

Despite the fiscal constraint, the budget committee determined that other means of reducing costs should be considered, ranging from instituting a furlough day to reducing the amount in the district’s contingency fund. To keep the full county contract, the amount needed is $622,000. However, a second-tier option of services, for about $427,000, may be considered. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, the new budget of $68,677,744 was adopted with the note that the board should decide the way in which mental health services can be funded.

The contractual connection between the county and the school district also was discussed at the Polk County Board of Commissioners, during their Tuesday meeting this week. Upon hearing that the CSD budget committee had agreed to extend the contract, Commissioner Craig Pope said it was an indication of the power of public comment – and he said he sympathized with the sentiments expressed. As a kid growing up amid challenging circumstances, “I wish I would have had that,” he said.

The budget and its note of a addition is expected to go to the CSD  school board this Monday June 8, 2026 at 6:30 pm, to be held at the Henry Hill Building, 750 S. Fifth St., Independence. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 5, 2026

For the class of 2026 at Central High School, the journey to a diploma has been marked by changes no one saw coming, from the state mandate for remote learning during middle school in the pandemic to the fairly recent revelation that cellphone use has the capacity to take a serious toll on adolescent mental health. 

So, is it any wonder why a top goal of tonight’s Panther grads is likely to be a future of more certainty – with lower priority given to a high salary or a fulfilling profession? 

As the estimated 215 Central seniors in their black and red robes walk across the stage, they can congratulate themselves that they are what has been termed “super-adapters,” members of a cohort who adjusted to interacting with peers through masks and who tuned in to glowing screens for part of their education.

The new graduates are going to need that capacity for  change, according to state Sen. Deb Patterson, who offered that advice  after holding a town hall in Monmouth this week. One certainty in their  future is that it will be filled with change, Patterson said.  

"I  would say commit to lifelong learning," she said. Training programs for  new technology as it unfolds and courses to acquire the expanse of new  information may be key to keeping pace in the future for the class of  2026, Patterson said. 

She  expressed empathy for the world they are heading into – they're being  met by funding squeezes for life's' basics, like health care, and an  inflation rate that makes groceries and gas harder to buy. 

And, if they’re like others their age across the nation, now they want stability, according to studies ranging from a 2025 Gallup poll to a survey in Parents Magazine. It’s what two clinical psychologists called “clear, steady structure” in an essay on adolescence that appeared on CNBC a few weeks ago. 

Personal experience by Trammart News has shown these CHS graduates – members of Gen Z – to be an outstanding group, as demonstrated in small acts and large ones that benefited the community over the past year. 

For example, this past Thanksgiving some of the student leadership held a lunch for elderly attendees – and a table full of self-described “senior citizens” likened the students who organized it to “young saints” for making those “pretty darn long in the tooth” feel so welcome. 

The same was true at a matinee for the musical “Mean Girls” this past spring, when cast members mingled with the audience afterward, emphasizing to several they were grateful for their presence. 

“We will miss their dress-up themes, student leadership and energetic presence at sporting events,” said Virginia Antunez, assistant principal at CHS. 

From selling a greenhouse full of FFA flower baskets to greeting drivers with unbridled cheer at fund-raising car washes, these seniors often showed unflagging spirit in the midst of what has been labeled the worst American economy since 2008 – an economy they are now joining as young adults. 

“Generation Z is entering adulthood amid notable economic challenges," which may be as impactful on them as the effects of the Great Recession on a previous generation, is the way it was characterized in a Washington State study published last year in the Journal of Adolescent Research. 

However, already they seem bent on figuring out how to navigate the future. At the career-day fair this year, as representatives from plumbing companies to police departments spoke to the high-schoolers, many already had decided what they were seeking: not a profession, but an “AI-proof job.” 

That fits with what OPB found among 20 students at an Oregon high school class that graduated last year, which the news service had been following since elementary school. They faced so many ups and downs – in both society’s shifts and their academic settings – they developed a skill set of flexibility and acceptance for meeting sudden changes. 

In 2026, it seems much the same. “This class is close knit," Antunez observed. They support each other in and outside of school,” she added. “They are a resilient group and will be missed at CHS.” 

( Recently, a message was scrawled in a bathroom at the high school that threatened a pending shooting; This past week a  16-year-old juvenile was taken into custody following a coordinated  investigation that involved Salem police and the FBI, according to a  news release from law enforcement officials. Though no direct link was announced, such school-related threats with firearms have become a  worry among Gen Z student populations.)  ▪

By Lance Masterson

For Trammart News Service, June 5, 2026

My introduction to tribute bands went something like this:

It’s a hot summer night four years ago and I’m weaving through the crowd at Riverview Park, camera in hand. Hundreds of fans wait to be transported back to the 1970s. Some are more into the experience than I am. I’m not one to dress in vintage clothes, dance the night away or lose myself in nostalgia. But I do take photos and pretend I’m on assignment for Rolling Stone magazine in its heyday.

Who better to deliver that experience than Fleetwood Mac — or at least a band that looks, acts and sounds remarkably close?

Taken By The Sky takes the stage.

One by one, faux Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham appear. But where’s Stevie?

The band opens with instruments only. Anticipation builds. Vocalist Jessa Campbell as Nicks finally emerges from behind the curtain. She takes the mic. A hush falls over the amphitheater.

The fans’ message is clear: if you’re going to perform as Fleetwood Mac, you’d better have someone who can channel Stevie Nicks. Not that other band members don’t have their fans. They do. But Nicks is Nicks.

Skepticism disappears with Campbell’s opening notes of “Sara.” The crowd sighs a collective sigh. This gal can sing, and suddenly all is well in their world for the next few hours.

Classic rock fans will get their own chance to decide just how good Taken By The Sky is when the band returns as a headliner for the 2026 River’s Edge concert series.

This marks the band’s fourth straight appearance in Independence.

“This is one of our favorite summer performances,” Campbell said. “It comes down to community. You’ve always been so welcoming and supportive of us. And the setting, right there on the river, is just magical.”

Timing adds to the experience.

“We start right before sunset, and by the end of the show it’s fully night,” she said. “We get both the vibrant, sun-soaked festival atmosphere and then transition into a more theatrical, light-driven performance.”

Campbell is pulling double duty this summer.

Along with portraying Nicks, she’ll step into the role of Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad in the ABBA tribute act Band After Midnight (photo). Liz Ghiz also appears in both groups, performing as Christine McVie and Agnetha Fältskog.

Band After Midnight formed after Campbell discovered both success and enjoyment performing with Taken By The Sky.

“As I moved into doing music full-time, I realized having multiple projects made it easier to stay local and maintain a sustainable schedule, especially with a family,” Campbell said. “I have two 10-year-olds, so that balance is important.”

Her fondness for the Swedish import made for a comfortable decision.

“I’ve always loved ABBA’s music, and I saw an opportunity to create something joyful and high-energy while working with musicians I already knew and loved,” she said. “It all came together pretty organically.”

River’s Edge continues its run of tribute acts this season.

Returning favorites include Shoot to Thrill (AC/DC), while new additions include Grand Royale (Beastie Boys), Animal (Maroon 5), and LOVER: An Eras Tour Experience (Taylor Swift).

Recreating the Eras Tour is a reminder that tribute productions aren’t just for classic acts. 

Today’s biggest artists inspire them, too – especially performers as popular as Taylor Swift.

Charity Eden created LOVER after attending an Eras Tour concert in 2023. What began as fandom evolved into a full-scale performance project.

“I didn’t set out to become a Taylor Swift tribute artist. I was already performing professionally as a singer and musician when people started pointing out the similarities in my voice and appearance,” Eden said. “Over time, I realized there was an opportunity, and a need to create something special for Swifties.”

The most challenging part has never been the singing.

“It’s capturing the spirit of what makes Taylor such a compelling performer,” Eden added. “Her connection with audiences is what sets her apart. She makes a stadium feel personal, and that’s something I strive for in every performance.”

According to promotional materials, LOVER recreates the spectacle and energy of an Eras Tour concert with costumes, choreography, and a live band spanning every phase of Swift’s career.

In just three years, the production has expanded internationally with performances in Japan, Kuwait, Canada, Bermuda and across the United States, with Europe next on the schedule.

“One of the things I love most about LOVER is that I get to bring this show everywhere, not just major cities,” Eden said. “Some of our favorite shows happen in communities that don’t always get access to large-scale touring productions. Independence is exactly the kind of place we love visiting.”

Positive articles and reviews have appeared in USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter and on many Facebook posts. In fact, Pro Tribute Bands lists LOVER as its choice for best Taylor Swift tribute band. Or, as its website states: “ … the ultimate Taylor Swift experience.”

So, take in a show or two. See (and hear) for yourself why these songs are still popular. Introduce youngsters to songs from your past. You know when music was music.

“Great music just stands the test of time,” Campbell said when asked about Fleetwood Mac and ABBA, though her comment applies to other performers as well. “People grow up with music and then pass it on to their kids. Even in my own house, I’ll hear my son singing ‘Edge of Seventeen’ or my daughter singing ‘Dancing Queen.’ These songs are timeless, truly some of the best ever written.”

Better still, perhaps your children can return the favor by introducing you to the music of Taylor Swift.

Either is possible this year at Riverview Park.

                                          **********************************************

Opening acts begin at 6 p.m. Headliners go on stage at 8 p.m.

Admission is $10 at the gate, $8 in advance. Children 10 and younger are free.

This year’s schedule:

July 10 - Grand Royale with Surefire (Classic Rock)

July 17 - Animal with Infamous Soul (80’s, 90’s Pop Rock)

July 24 - Taken By the Sky with Rockaway Band (Yacht Rock)

July 31 - Shoot to Thrill with The Archived (80’s One Hit Wonders)

Aug. 7 - Band After Midnight with Daring Gently (Americana Classic Rock, Soul)

Aug. 14 - Lover with Idle Poets with Jazzy Hits 

▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 29, 2026

Behavior by certain city officials was seen as disrespectful by some residents who spoke at the recent budget meeting or posted their views online – complaints that Trammart News took to Independence Mayor Kate Schwarzler and City Manager Kenna West after learning about them.

Neither West nor Schwarzler have answered inquiries about those assertions from Trammart News. 

Several of those who viewed or attended the last city budget committee meeting said they noticed that West seemed to make a point of looking disengaged during resident testimony in opposition to the proposed service fee – staring at her cellphone or shuffling papers.

Two observers thought this might be a stress response, but several others said it has been so recurrent at meetings that they suspect she doesn't want to tune in to the testimony. 

Some were troubled by what they perceived as reprimands of "shush" to the audience or glaring looks from committee members. "I know my voice sounds like a foghorn," said Linda Gray, who shared her objections from the podium on the proposed, nearly $20 add-on fee to the city utility bill. The monthly fee is to fund the library, parks and museum and awaiting final approval by the city council.

But, after hearing a city councilor tell the audience to be quiet following a vocal reaction by some in attendance, Gray said she felt discouraged. 

One budget committee member, Nathan Christensen, followed her husband, Doug Gray, out of the room – to counter Gray's public comments.

Doug Gray (photo) had called the fee for supporting the museum, library and parks a case of "taxation without representation" and Christensen disagreed. "He wanted to discuss that," Gray said.

Christensen's departure during the meeting goes against generally accepted city council conduct. Any interaction by city councilors with those who provide public testimony during a meeting should be limited to clarifying questions, according to the "Model Rules for Council  Meetings" by the League of Oregon Cities.  

However, Christensen is a budget committee member, not a city councilor.

Even so, Gabby Walton, who also gave public testimony, said she felt the meeting should have been "paused" when Christensen left to pursue Gray.  

Christensen, who is married to the museum's director, was queried earlier this week by an email from Trammart News seeking a response.  

"My  conversation with the individuals who left was very similar to the comments I made to the rest of the committee after I returned," explained Christensen, who noted that, with his years of experience participating in the budget committee, he felt "this whole endeavor was very  democratic and representative."  

In an address from her own Facebook page, Schwarzler acknowledged that "I know there's been frustration around public comment and where people can officially share feedback with the city." 

She said that social media can be a tool for public discussion but added that "public comment needs to be fair and accessible to everyone" and social media doesn't provide that. 

"If you want to have your voice heard as part of the official record, we do need to have people follow the proper channel," she said. This includes emails and letters to the city, as well as public testimony, she added. 

In  her address to viewers, Schwarzler identifies herself as "community  mayor" before advising residents that contacting the city or giving  public testimony is more effective than social media for any who want to  comment on city issues. 

Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court  ruled that city officials risk liability when using personal social media on behalf of their public office, according to a landmark case,  Lindke v. Freed.  

Some residents say they have all but abandoned giving public testimony at public meetings, despite the mayor's Facebook post urging residents to do so rather than posting on social media.

Mike Rhodes, who previously had voiced strong opinions from the public podium, said he no longer considers it worth the effort – he pointed out that he can be vocal about various issues on Facebook that others in the community can see, he said. 

Rhodes said he's disappointed that the city manager – who was spotted by viewers looking elsewhere or at her phone during public testimony – seems to affect residents who are trying to communicate with their elected officials. "When West does that, she creates a 'chilling effect' between the citizens and our representatives," Rhodes said.

A message similar to the mayor's was given by City Councilor Shannon Corr on the city's Facebook page, in a reply that Corr issued to a resident who had voiced a complaint there.

Comments should be placed "in a venue where you can get a thoughtful answer," Corr stated.

Corr also appeared to reprimand resident Michelle Miranda on the city's Facebook page. Miranda had observed that she'd like to return to a time "when my water bill was below $140 a month." Corr replied online that there are "more appropriate forums for this." 

Miranda then asked: "Are you the comment police?" 

In an offline observation to Trammart News, one resident questioned why City Planning Manager Fred Evander was spending time making showy videos for the city's Facebook page. The resident observed that Evander has an annual salary of around $108,000, a base pay that TN confirmed in a public records request. 

Evander was seen in a video on the city Facebook page performing what appeared to be a vaudeville routine to promote local history – and Corr had suggested during the budget committee meeting that the city's planning department could be understaffed. "I don't want my name used to ask about this," the resident told this news outlet after pointing out the post. 

In an effort to find out how successful communication can be carried out, Trammart News attended a session of the annual meeting of the Rhetoric Society of America, which was held in Portland this past weekend. One of the panelists – Don Holmes, an assistant professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh – said that, in general terms, group solidarity is built by addressing common problems with the right "vernacular." 

He explained that he was referring to finding unifying language and common ground during discussions with divided viewpoints. 

Asked what strategy he would recommend for doing that, he suggested starting with: "What is important to you, to all of you, in Independence – and can you all agree on that?" If so, that can be a good starting point, he said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 29, 2026

The Independence Water Quality Report for 2025 shows a good record of clean drinking water but two contaminants have been detected at levels that raise questions. 

Their presence doesn't indicate any general health risk, but sodium in Independence water has reached or exceeded the standard set for utilities by Oregon. In addition, four households now exceed the recommended levels for copper content. 

And "forever chemicals" have been detected in both well fields that are relied on by the city, though at levels far below federal advisory limits. 

All three were seen by Trammart News as noteworthy and meriting more explanation.

However, repeated efforts to contact the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, about the findings were unsuccessful. (City Manager Kenna West instituted a ban against the local press about two years ago and Mayor Kate Schwarzler has stated she supports it – the mayor has called questions from Trammart News unnecessary to be answered by city officials.) 

But several outside experts, as well as information from Gov. Tina Kotek's office, provided a more extensive look at the reasons some of these components have gained attention within the state. 

Sodium. The sodium level in Independence ranges from 20-to-25 milligrams of sodium in a liter. Independence reported that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Oregon Health Division set standards for sodium lower, at 20 milligrams of sodium in one liter of water. 

Above that level, sensitive individuals – those with hypertension or kidney disease, for example – may want to take heed and, if needed, "consult your physician," according to state health information. Sodium is essential for fluid balance, but excessive intake can raise blood pressure – it bears watching, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. 

How is it that sodium can exceed recommended levels? Sodium can naturally occur in water – in Independence, it may leach into groundwater from rocks and soils. Prehistoric events may have predisposed some parts of town deep underground with salty deposits, according to a researcher at Portland State University, who was asked about it this week after a PSU geology seminar. 

Also, the chlorination process used in water treatment can mean sodium in drinking water. 

"We do have a saline water issue in the mid valley, tied to old connate water in the bedrock, for example of Salt Creek, out past Rickreall," said Steve Taylor, chair of the division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Western Oregon University. However, in Independence it's a different issue since the wells are close to a river, and shallow, said Taylor, a geology professor. "In that case, (it) could be treatment related," he said. 

Copper. Most copper ends up in water due to the corrosion of pipes, according to Washington State's Institute for Environmental Research and Education, a nonprofit established to review current environmental issues. 

Copper plumbing is a common culprit for putting the element into water. Copper was detected beyond the listed "action level" in four Independence homes from sampling by the Independence Public Works Department, according to the most recent water report. 

Copper in drinking water can come from other sources, too, including groundwater, notes the National Science Foundation. The National Institutes of Health warns that high levels of copper in drinking water can cause gastrointestinal distress.

PFBS. These are part of a group of synthetic "forever chemicals" that have been detected in Independence water – but at minuscule levels compared with the federally recommended standard, which is a "non-regulatory drinking water health advisory level." 

Gov. Kotek has signaled her concern about these per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAs – last year she signed a bill to ban PFA additives in firefighting foam, which had become a common environmental source.

On a national level, aggressive investigations are being encouraged to find PFAs in water supplies, though they're not recognized as a regulated contaminant. However, under the "Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule," PFAs need to be periodically identified and followed as substances of possible concern in drinking water – substances that are not yet regulated but could affect public health, according to the EPA. 

The EPA announced this past month that about $10.6 million in grants will be made available to Oregon for community drinking-water systems to test for these chemicals and, possibly, to implement improved infrastructure when necessary. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 29, 2026

Next week, any visitor to the Polk County Courthouse is likely to go through a security checkpoint when entering the building – a screening station aimed at detecting weapons is being installed. 

The new process is being undertaken to protect the potential threat of harm to judges and law enforcement personnel, but there also have been heated exchanges and threatening behavior to others in the courthouse, including at Polk County Board of Commissioners' meetings. 

Both Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton and District Attorney Aaron Felton are in favor of the installation, which is a 13-month pilot program that is being carried out with grant money from the state, according to a presentation this past month to the Polk County Board of Commissioners by Un Cha Kim, the Polk County trial administrator.

About two dozen counties also are undertaking the pilot project, but only Polk County has received money for the personnel to run it, she said. 

The lack of screening is a "significant vulnerability" – courthouses across the state have reported individuals being spotted with guns, knives and other weapons in hallways and meeting rooms, Kim said. 

A long-time law in Oregon, ORS 166.370, makes it a felony for any person to intentionally possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a public building or court facility, even with a valid Oregon Concealed Handgun License. However, that hasn't stopped some. 

In an interview after Kim's presentation, Garton noted that one individual came to his office with a firearm, and the sheriff escorted him outside after telling him having a gun was illegal inside the building. 

Over a 10-year period, from 2013 to 2023, the number of guns processed annually more than doubled, from about 1.2 million to 3.5 million, according to data from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. In Oregon, an uptick was seen in teens; In 2022, ATF agents seized 99 firearms from minors, compared to 46 in 2017. 

The trend has been seen at Central School District, where more weapons have been detected, according to information reported at a recent school board meeting. 

District Attorney Felton said he supports the added courthouse screening, which he said is a preventive step that should be taken. The new screening tools include X-ray machines and magnetometers. 

Judge Monte Campbell, who spoke alongside Kim, observed that there have been incidents that demonstrate the added precautions are a good idea. However, he said he hoped it wouldn't result in the kind of procedures for which some airport TSA checks are known.

Commissioner Craig Pope told Campbell he wanted to make sure the process was businesslike and free of over-reaching "gotcha" moments. 

Trammart News recently went through a similar screening at the Marion County Courthouse this spring and a pair of tweezers was temporarily confiscated from a purse pocket. ▪

Trammart News Service, May 22, 2026

After the city budget committee approved the Independence budget for 2026-2027, a special Independence resident, Greg Ellis, shared his opinion in a letter to the editor to Trammart News – and dispatched it to the City of Independence, as well. Ellis  (photo) has served as the city manager of Independence, Dallas and Canby, among others. He is widely regarded as one of the most experienced administrators of municipal governance in Oregon – he worked for Gov. John Kitzhaber, and following his resignation, Gov. Kate Brown. And he is concerned that Independence is heading down a troublesome path. 

The budget adds nearly $20 in community service fees to the monthly water bill and an in-house attorney to the city staff, along with other additional expenses. 

Ellis has provided a fact-based look at why Independence city management – a mayor who told Ellis that a standard method he cited for the budget was not “transparent” and a city manager who asserts that the method she’s using for the budget is a “best practice” – doesn’t align with an approach taken by cities ranging from Sandy to Gladstone. 

Trammart News thanks Ellis for his commentary and plans to return to some of these points in the future, as the budget takes effect after likely passage by the city council in June.  --AS

OP/ED

Greetings,

For the past two budget cycles the citizens of Independence have heard a never-ending torrent of how dire the situation is in the city’s General Fund. We were told that library, park and museum services were going to be severely curtailed or even eliminated. 

Having been a city manager for many years, I understand the challenges. 

Another previous city manager, David Clyne, and I felt that our 65-plus years of combined experience might provide some insight into available options to help the General Fund, but our offer to be a resource was resoundingly rejected. 

Not a problem. It was my feeling that the current administration wanted to resolve the issue internally without external influence.

However, after reviewing the 2026-27 budget, adopted by the Budget Committee on May 6, 2026, I realized the problems with the General Fund were largely self-imposed. David Clyne worked very hard to put the City on sound financial footing that would have benefited this community for many years to come, and it has been eroded in just the past few years.

As stated above we were told the General Fund ending fund balance was getting so low over the years that there would not be enough to carry the city to November when the property taxes started to come in. If that is true, how does the city justify hiring an in-house attorney and two additional police officers? 

Anyone want to take a wild guess how many cities in Oregon with a population between 8,000 to 12,000 have an in-house attorney? My guess would have been zero. As it turns out I could find one: Lincoln City, Oregon. 

The person in this position is being paid a base salary of almost $160,000 but with PERS, health insurance, social security, unemployment insurance, etc. Lincoln City budgeted slightly over $233k for this position. 

Independence has budgeted $110,700 base salary for an in-house attorney which means this position will cost the citizens of Independence somewhere between $160,000-170,000 per year when benefits are added in. 

The last two audited budgets for Independence (2023-24, 2024-25) had audited amounts of $81,000+ and $38,000+, respectively, for contracted legal expense that went to a company that specializes in municipal law. The 2026-27 budget still has $30,000 budgeted for contracted legal expense so the total for an in-house attorney and outside legal assistance now is between $190,000-$200,000 per year. Much of the pay for this position should come from the General Fund.

I thought the General Fund was in bad shape?

As stated above, the adopted budget includes the addition of two additional officers which will bring the number of sworn officers to 19 (?). Rule of thumb is that there should be two officers per 1,000 population. 

There are several mitigating factors that might increase or decrease that number. I personally support the two officers per 1,000 population but I also understand that if there are limited funds the number of sworn officers might have to be slightly less and that is how I and the chiefs of police that I worked with approached the budget. 

We are told in the budget messages that there is not enough property tax revenue to cover the salaries of the officers we have. So, where would the funding to cover the salaries of these two positions (three positions if you include the in-house attorney) come from? 

I thought the General Fund was in bad shape?

I have suggested that some of the funding for General Fund positions should come as transfers into the General Fund from the water, sewer, stormwater and streets funds since they have dedicated sources of revenue and many, if not all, General Fund administrative positions and services have indirect costs in supporting the four funds indicated above. 

I have been told by the mayor that this is not a transparent way to finance General Fund personnel and services, and I believe the city manager has indicated that this is not “best practice.”

They might want to tell that to the Oregon cities of Sandy, Gladstone and Prineville and the many other communities that I looked at. Their transfers in from utilities to General Fund are called “Indirect Service Allocation”, “Department Recover Transfers” and “Support Service Fund,” respectively. 

When I used this method in Canby it was in the budget as Administrative Fee Transfer. I looked at budgets from several communities and realized that transfers from utility and street funds was the prevalent method of allocating qualified personnel and service costs to the General Fund. 

Transfers into General Fund are the most transparent method if the transferred amounts are arrived at by an equitable cost-allocation methodology. I would suggest that the method used by the City of Independence is anything but transparent. 

Instead of transferring funds from utilities and streets into the General Fund the budget shows a transfer of Full Time Employee (FTE) percentages into the utility and street funds. Appendix 4, page 108, in the 2026-27 budget indicates that 85% of the City Manager’s salary ($188,000-plus base pay) is allocated into the water, sewer, storm and street funds which is the same percentage allocated in the two previous budgets. 

If the city manager spends that much time managing these funds, I question why the City needs a public works director with a Step 1 base salary starting at $116,000-plus? 

The finance director also has 85% of their salary, Step 1 starting at $105,000-plus, allocated to the utilities and street fund. In each of the two previous budgets the Finance Director’s salary was allocated at 90% in the utility and street funds. 

On page 14 of the budget, first paragraph, the Budget Officer’s (Finance Director Amanda Carey) Budget Message states:

“To enhance transparency and provide a clearer understanding of personnel-related expenditures, the city previously improved the methodology used to allocate General Fund personnel costs across funds. We continue to use that methodology in this FY 2027 budget. These allocations are reviewed and updated annually to reflect actual workloads and responsibilities. The FY 2027 budget includes detailed information on personnel allocations, allowing the community, Budget Committee, and City Council to better understand how personnel-related expenses are distributed across City operations.”

I would very much like to see the “… methodology used to allocate General Fund personnel costs across funds.” I would think transparency would dictate that the methodology used would be included in the budget document so citizens could see why the city manager’s and finance director’s salaries are allocated at 85% to streets and utilities. 

Respectively,

Greg Ellis  

(Prior to publication, Trammart News sent a copy of Ellis's essay to both Mayor Kate Schwarzler and City Manager Kenna West.)  ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 22, 2026

It's no wonder that teachers in Central School District have made classroom safety concerns a priority in their current contract negotiations. It's been identified as a top problem for K-12 educators on nationwide surveys, including a poll by the National Education Association that ominously warned public school administrators two years ago: "We're at a crisis point." 

The crisis may have arrived sooner at CSD – conversations with teachers, their aides and some office personnel at local schools indicate an alleged lack of clarity has been dragging on for years about precisely when discipline should be applied and what it should entail. 

One former educational assistant likened many of these "interventions" to a session of non-judgmental persuasion: "The idea of using 'restorative justice' is good but the outcome can be bad. Sitting around and talking about what happened only goes so far." 

The situation has led to a call for straightforward language in which behavioral consequences are placed in writing, including within the coming bargaining agreement between teachers and administrators. 

And now, a new student code of conduct by the district is becoming part of the process. 

"Building administrators have been discussing and using the Code of Conduct since its implementation in January, as well as providing training (and) information during staff meetings," said Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for CSD. 

For example, repeated problematic behavior by the same student – a situation some teachers say is currently not uncommon in some youth – could be considered "an escalation," despite the fact that the student has been engaged in interventions by staff, Mentzer said.

The Code of Conduct spells out that some repetitive behaviors won't rise to the level of suspension or expulsion. "For example, three tardies will not result in a suspension," Mentzer explained. "We want students in school and in class, so we would be working with the student and their family on this concern." 

Training will be scheduled as needed on the Code of Conduct, which is included in student and staff handbooks, in the 2026-27 school year, Mentzer said. 

If it seems like such worries over student behavior are confined to the classroom, interviews with those in the community reflect similar reports, too. One trolley driver said it got so disruptive on his short bus ride with teens, including "F-bombs" being shouted back and forth, he had to stop the vehicle and call a halt to it, he recalled. 

One customer in the Central Plaza told Trammart News that young adolescents routinely use foul language and "nasty" actions when they're in the shopping area on lunch or other school-day breaks. She posted online about one incident, calling on parents to "stop being defensive over your kids’ ridiculous behavior and fix it." Others joined in on the local social media site, citing it as a community-wide problem.

The circumstances impacting teachers now seem far afield from those 30 years ago. When the middle-aged teachers of CSD today were just starting out, with the ink barely dry on their diplomas, surveys of the profession showed they were most anxious about their subject preparation and maintaining quality in their classroom. Over about 10 years, this changed.

By 2004, studies ranging from those by the Pew Research Center to the National Center for Education Statistics were showing the emergence of in-class safety concerns. And it was starting to take a terrible toll. 

Now nearly one in seven public school teachers leave, changing schools or exiting the profession, according to the San Francisco-based Learning Policy Institute. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, which conducts education research, reported this past March that a large majority of this turnover, 74%, is voluntary – not retirement. Links to job dissatisfaction were significant. 

In Oregon, TikTok segments and YouTube videos show teachers sharing stories about how hard it is to face student outbursts or apathetic parents or chronic absenteeism. A few months ago, a school board meeting – still getting comments online – showed a teacher in the neighboring school district of Dallas resigning on camera at the public meeting. She cited frequent student assaults as the reason. 

But teacher losses, which were confirmed by the state's office of Teachers Standards and Practices at a summit this week, aren't the only casualty of the public school system. 

Behavioral needs have put more funding pressures on schools. Youth with special emotional challenges mean there are extra personnel and programs required for that part of the school population, according to state Rep. Paul Evans, who represents Independence-Monmouth and is a graduate of Central High School. 

Schools have evolved to offer more services outside the classroom. In many cases, there is before- and after-school care, free meals provided often twice daily, and sometimes more frequently, for qualifying students and special provisions to address on-site health care issues. 

Compared with his time receiving a K-12 education at Central School District, "school is a lot more complex," said Evans (photo), who recently crisscrossed the area he serves, including a stop at the West Salem library branch. (Trammart News covered that presentation.) 

Evans likened the pressure on schools to provide programs ranging from behavioral interventions to individualized education as a Hobson's Choice. "We just don't have the revenues for it," he said.

The quality-of-education model that educators began seeking 25 years ago, which was backed by Oregon legislators, doesn't seem to be a realistic goal in current circumstances, he said. 

Oregon law now mandates that students with special needs will be given a full day of school – and, in some cases, a full day of "stimulus" rather than shortened half-day attendance can be a challenge for them, Evans observed. 

In their bestselling book, "The Coddling of the American Mind," two experts in social trends – Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt – propose that, for years, some youths have been set up for failure. It's showing up in mental health statistics among teenagers and, unfortunately, in school performance. 

They cite work by Jean Twenge, the pioneering San Diego State University professor who has profiled “iGen,” today's teen generation. They've faced two sea changes as youngsters unlike any of those who preceded them: they are digital natives, who grew up using computer screens, and they learned to depend on those more heavily than other communication tools during the pandemic. 

As social media proliferated, so did a rise in anxiety and depression among iGen. And, as covid necessitated social isolation to some extent, it had effects still being seen in classroom settings. 

The CSD school cellphone ban may go a long way to mitigating the social media impact, according to parents, students and teachers who agree it seems to be making kids more interactive with classmates. 

But, even so, it won't change the way in which Oregon's decades-old tax reform – Measures 5, 47 and 50 – impacted schools by limiting the property-tax annual growth limit to 3% of the county-assessed individual home valuation. 

Steadily, local control of revenue for school funding has weakened – funding couldn't keep pace with need and schools began to rely heavily on state allocations, Evans said. The resulting strain on resources means all those extra services schools now are expected to provide are thinning. 

Even so, some teachers who are wrapping up their school year said they believe the cellphone ban may continue to have a positive effect. And they hope the Code of Conduct will make a substantial difference in the next academic year, according to some who were queried at school events this spring. 

The guide for the student Code of Conduct was composed after the results came in from last year's parent-caregiver survey; A statement reflecting perception of "consistent enforcement" of rules scored a 2.95 out of 5. In the spring of 2025, the score stayed the same at 2.95 out of 5. 

Caregivers had an opportunity to take this survey several weeks ago, and this question received 2.9 out of 5. "We will look for changes in this score going forward, and for qualitative feedback regarding the code of conduct from staff and stakeholders," Mentzer said.

The  Code of Conduct was developed using similar documents from other Oregon  school districts, as well as incorporating many Central School District  policies. Here's a link to the Code of Conduct  ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 22, 2026

With a new, nearly $20 fee headed for final passage to be added to utility bills, Trammart News – now in its 10th year – decided to take a look at how this 2026 budget committee compared with those over the years. All of the many committees over the past decade seemed similar. Members all listened, for the most part, and held various discussions – then they simply voted "yes," sometimes with one or more dissenters. 

This year was no different, except that there appeared to be a surprising lack of reference about residents’ views, except by speakers at the last budget meeting. The fee gives the city less revenue than the levy measure rejected by voters, according to City Manager Kenna West, who spoke on the difference between the two at the final budget meeting. 

Yet, nearly everyone who contacted this news outlet in the wake of the budget vote expressed dissatisfaction with the committee – that members of it allegedly failed to give anything but a passing nod to the fact that a ballot levy for the museum, library and parks had failed by a large margin. 

However, in this  Trammart News opinion piece, the most surprising aspect of the budget-building process was the following occurrence. 

It came from Mayor Kate Schwarzler, who had been mentored and supported by the preceding mayor, John McArdle. She chose to attribute much of the financial strain borne by the city to that administration, naming the period of 10-15 years ago as a crux of the current budget situation. 

That was the time when City Manager David Clyne and McArdle served the city, and the two men had been unflinching backers of Schwarzler. 

Schwarzler was awarded many thousands of dollars in grant money for her Indy Commons operation, given shout-outs by the pair for business skills that others didn't always see and praised in many public settings by the two at various times. 

The day McArdle passed the torch of mayor to Schwarzler, he looked as proud as a beloved family member as she was sworn in. 

Yet with a yes-vote seemingly so well assured by the budget committee, Schwarzler chose that moment to point to his previous administration as largely responsible for the current fiscal squeeze. 

This is a time in a budget committee that I'll always remember. To me, it is unforgettable. 

On a personal note, I'm planning on getting assistance from some in my profession on this incident, so that I can proceed clearly and objectively into coverage for the 2026 fiscal year. 

Below are some observations. But the starkest one so far, in my own view, is listed above – a current mayor who seemed to benefit from her predecessor's support, but who singled out his prior administration in an unfavorable light. – Anne Scheck, Trammart News 

THE GOOD. 

Resident voices from the podium were reported as wholly positive in the first two budget meetings. At the last meeting, opposing viewpoints were aired. Both seem important. 

On the final night of the budget session, residents showed up to share their conviction that the will of the citizens – as shown by a failed levy vote – was being disregarded by the budget committee, which seemed set on passing the new fee. 

Linda Gray, a former educator, pointed out that she felt the museum was a "want" and not a need. And, at this time of economic hardship, people already are at a breaking point, she said.

Gabrielle Walton said that "it isn't about whether these services are important" but how a small group of people, the budget committee, is implementing a way to pay for services they want after a levy for the same purpose was thoroughly defeated.

Shannon Ball said the intent of residents was made clear by that vote, and the committee simply wasn't "honoring the will" of local voters. Doug Gray also observed that "we said no to the tax." 

Kevin Hamlin, a library board member, spoke in support of the library – and he seemed to reflect the same view of it as some of the other speakers. The library apparently was seen as an issue separate from the museum by some who spoke. (Steve Scheck, spouse of Trammart News publisher Anne Scheck, also testified but his testimony seemed centered on public records requests).

This year, a city councilor, Dawn Roden, and a budget committee member, Dana Sharman, asked pointed questions of the administration. Sharman and Roden both inquired about the cost and reasoning behind staff additions, such as West's proposal for an in-house attorney. 

Sharman also spotted about a 26% increase in the park budget this year, and asked specifically where that money was needed. West told him that it was formulated by Gerald Fisher, public works director, who was no longer available – Fisher is retiring. However, she said that it is for park maintenance, and play equipment repair as well as bathroom refurbishment. 

Last year, Sharman also questioned how money was going to be saved by Friday closures of city hall, with the exception of the police department. The cost-saving later was deemed negligible by the finance director at that time, Rob Moody, who retired. 

Sharman indicated that he stood by an earlier assertion that "every dollar we take" from a resident is one they cannot spend themselves. He also suggested an ad hoc committee that proposed the fee was made up of members that were "one-sided" in their view. 

But Sharman said he found himself "having to support the fee against my own will" as the best option for the coming year. Roden voted against the budget proposal, which now will go to the city council for final approval in June. 

THE BAD.

City Manager West had a group of supporters on the budget committee – she did what very few managers in cities with about 10,000 people can do: she got the green light to hire a staff lawyer. 

There were no serious objections raised by members of the budget committee, with the exception of City Councilor Roden. 

The move will make the City of Independence one of very few small cities in Oregon to have an in-house attorney – an in-house attorney that's scheduled for employment about 14 months after West claimed Independence was so broke she was worried about keeping the lights on.

The budget for an in-house attorney is about $111,000. However, that estimate may have to be increased, depending on the experience of the attorney who's hired, according to other administrators contacted by Trammart News. And, even at that salary level, the position will cost thousands more per year when the city's typical benefits are added. 

That sum doesn't address the cost of outside legal experts that are likely to be needed for specialized services, ranging from land-use issues to labor-contract negotiations. 

Former City Manager Greg Ellis, who served Independence for a decade from 2000 to 2010, came to the same conclusion; He included it is his editorial essay in this issue (see lead story). 

THE UGLY.

Roden, West and budget committee member Nathan Christensen aired a disagreement over conflict of interest that showed a flare of tempers during the final budget committee meeting. 

Christensen, the husband of museum director Amy Christensen, served on the budget committee and he cast a yes vote for the proposal – a proposal in which his wife's role will be expanded and her pay will be increased. 

Christensen had gathered material in support of the new fee – some of it included illustrations by a family member – and it was designed to help provide individuals who wanted to give supportive testimony at public meetings the appropriate guidance on how to make their points at the podium.

Trammart News received questions about this action, but other than to report on it, TN hadn't delved into the matter. 

However, Roden heatedly questioned why Christensen's vote wasn't a conflict of interest. West countered that the Oregon Government Ethics Commission had been queried about that last year and found no cause for conflict of interest on Christensen's part. 

As a result, West said, seemingly irritated, that she was going to continue to use a legal term: "Asked and answered." Christensen seemed irked, too, interjecting that he knew who made the complaint last year, apparently implicating Roden. 

However, West was in error, according to an outside legal view. The situation for 2026 wasn't the same as it was for 2025; Last year's budget included only the question of museum funding, not an increased role for the museum director. The circumstances had changed. 

So, Trammart News put the question to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. OGEC declined to analyze what the change might mean – it is now a moot point because last year the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 983. 

This bill added a new exception to the conflict of interest disclosure statute (ORS 244.120). Specifically, it added a statute now numbered as ORS 244.120(2)(b)(C). Under it, a governing body member – including a member of a city budget committee – who is voting on a budget that includes their own or a relative’s compensation, may participate in that vote. 

They do first need to publicly announce the nature of their conflict of interest, but after doing so, they are permitted to participate in the deliberations and to vote on the budget adoption. Christensen did make such disclosures at the beginning of all budget committee meetings. 

(All city councilors have  been invited to do a guest editorial on this subject matter, and the  request was cc'd to Mayor Kate Schwarzler, as well.)  ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 15, 2026  

Decisions made a decade ago during the previous mayor's administration are causing the financial strain that the city is facing today – and forcing the need for a nearly $20 fee to be added to utility bills, according to statements made by Independence Mayor Kate Schwarzler at the city budget meeting last week. 

Schwarzler said the cause of current financial squeeze in Independence "happened from decisions made 10 years ago, 15 years ago, that we are still living with."

She was referring to a period in which John McArdle was mayor and David Clyne was city manager. 

McArdle stepped away in 2024, after 26 years at the helm. Clyne, who served as city manager under him, preceded the mayor's departure by a few years. Schwarzler attributed the current financially challenging circumstances to that administration, calling the situation "frustrating." 

She observed that residents also have pointed to these past actions as being responsible for present fiscal struggles. She commended the city manager, Kenna West, for "putting us on a better path." 

Efforts to reach Former Mayor McArdle for his reaction to Schwarzler's commentary have so far been unsuccessful. But Clyne, the city manager at the time, chose to respond to Schwarzler's claims. 

Clyne asserted that, under a practice labeled "best practices" by West, the city stopped transferring utility funds to the General Fund and "pocketed the savings instead of lowering customer bills by that amount." 

Now these same utility customers are being asked to pay $30 more a month on their water-sewer bills, Clyne said, referring to the $10 public safety fee and the $19.65 community services fee that will begin in July. 

In light of Clyne's response, Schwarzler was asked to further clarify her statements on the link between this year's budget and the McArdle administration. 

However, she hasn't replied to that request. 

In past months, Schwarzler has stated that she supports the city manager's ban on the local press, Trammart News, which city staff have said is a mandate that no question from this news outlet  needs to be answered. 

Clyne has alleged that, under the new policy, the city administration has "justified a large rate increase" for existing customers to, among other things, prepay debt obligations that "rightfully should be paid for by new growth instead." 

But new growth has come to a halt. The reason given by developers: A significant rise in building fees, called system development charges. The increase was approved by the Independence City Council after Public Works Director Gerald Fisher presented a plan to do so, shortly after West arrived. (Fisher has since announced his retirement; Advertising for his replacement is underway.) 

The increase in builder charges – to about $53,000 per home – was labeled "massive" by the Homebuilders Association of Marion and Polk Counties, in HBA's widely publicized newsletter. 

Last year, those charges were lowered after a federal report aimed at helping distressed cities made that recommendation to Independence. However, the $10,000 cut in fees didn't generate any more building – the fees were still nearly double that of two neighboring cities, according to a comparison with Dallas and Monmouth. 

Trammart News has queried several developers over the past year, who confirmed that they no longer consider Independence a feasible place for new housing construction. (Acreages along Talmadge have been cleared, but no houses appear to be under construction.) 

Accumulating city debt – identified by Schwarzler as a crux of the city's financial problems – was identified about ten years ago by the city's auditor at that time, Kamala Austin. She informed Mayor McArdle and Independence Council President Marilyn Morton of the risk of possible looming loan obligations, along with the rest of the council. 

Morton has said she doesn't remember the incident. Emails about Austin's past advisory, which were sent to Morton prior to this article, have gone unanswered. 

However, shortly after the former Independence financial director, Rob Moody, gave a presentation on debt, Morton was reminded by Trammart News of the 2017 meeting in which Austin delivered her message. Morton said she didn't recall the meeting. 

In his answer to Schwarzler, Clyne cited the current lack of housing growth as a deep concern. He indicated that not only is it necessary for the city's financial health, but a no-growth period fails to justify a $44 million water-treatment plant. 

"When growth is virtually anemic in Independence – one new housing start in two years, reportedly – are treatment plants for water and sewer suddenly emergency needs at costs in the tens of millions?" Clyne asked.

Schwarzler and West recently made a trip to Washington DC to lobby for revenue for the planned water treatment plant. 

"Without growth, what is driving the need? Without growth who will be asked to pay for them? Where is the financing plan for either facility?" Clyne asked. 

Schwarzler once highly praised both McArdle and Clyne for efforts during their administration – for turning a derelict concrete company site by the Willamette River into the apartments and hotel now known as Independence Landing. 

When she took office as mayor about 18 months ago, Schwarzler expressed her gratitude to McArdle in an online post: “I want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank John McArdle for his remarkable years of service to Independence. His dedication and leadership have left a lasting impact on our community." 

However, she has since said that "long-term decisions" made by that administration, along with factors ranging from state requirements to the inflation rate, have made it hard for the city to remain fiscally sound. 

(Next week Trammart News, which has published editorials on meeting decorum, will revisit how questions were being asked and answered at the budget meetings, including resident testimony.)  ▪

Trammart News Service, May 15, 2026

Introduction

Almost immediately after the near-unanimous vote by the budget committee to send the 2026-2027 Independence budget to the city council for final approval, Trammart News asked a simple question. Who voted against it and why? 

The lone "no" vote was cast by City Councilor Dawn Roden (photo), who agreed to explain her reasons. Her essay, which is being published as a guest editorial, appears below. --AS

Opinion: Why I voted no on the proposed Independence City Budget   

By Dawn Roden

Independence City Councilor

First, the levy failed. 

And I believe any new fees should be taken to the voters before being added to the water bill.

The base water and sewer rates are already too high, and the budget committee dismissed the idea of reducing those rates – whether by an equal amount or even by 50% – to offset new charges.

This budget does not maintain staffing levels; it increases them. It simply does not make economic sense at this time.

We were not presented with a version of the budget that showed what would happen if these new fees were not included. Instead, we were told that, without them, city services would shut down. I don’t believe that’s accurate.

For example, would the library truly have to close? Or could it operate for another year at current funding levels? We simply weren’t given enough information to make that judgment for our community.

This budget also nickels and dimes residents through about $85,000 in new and increased fees – from home‑based business fees to higher dog-licensing costs and increased copy fees at the library.

Nearly every department shows increases in spending, even as our community is being asked to tighten its belt.

On top of that, we are misleading the community about our debt levels by suggesting they will reduce “over the next few years.” The truth is that we are more than doubling our debt with the construction of the new water treatment plant. Our community cannot afford that.

Imagine what our water and sewer bills will look like once the additional costs required to repay that debt are added. This is a major financial burden that residents deserve to understand clearly.

I also believe the City Manager has put the city at real risk by acting as the city attorney, a role that is not hers and should never have been taken on.

If she intends to continue doing this, then I must support bringing in new legal counsel. And to be clear, hiring an in‑house attorney does not eliminate our need for outside legal counsel. We will still need specialized help, and without a firm already under contract, we will have to seek representation and pay for each occurrence. I do not see how we can responsibly or accurately budget for that.

When asked about these costs, the city manager’s response is often something like, “I don’t have a crystal ball.” That kind of answer does not inspire confidence that we can plan for our future legal expenses or understand how high they may rise.

Meanwhile, the city manager and other staff are receiving large pay increases, yet the Independence Civic Center remains closed on Fridays. The city has not demonstrated any real financial benefit from that closure.

In fact, I have emailed staff on multiple Fridays and often receive immediate automated replies stating they are working remotely and may not respond until Monday – raising further concerns about efficiency and transparency.

For these reasons, I could not support a budget that raises costs on residents without clearly showing the tradeoffs, accountability, or shared sacrifice expected in difficult financial times. ▪