Megan Saunders

Hood River

Political platform statement

Why I am running for this office: I’ve spent the past decade making Hood River my home and I have been honored over the last four years to help make this community better and stronger. The City continues to struggle with affordability issues, making it harder and harder for young folks, young families, the elderly, and low-income folks at all life stages to continue to call this place home. I believe it is critical to the health of our community and our economy that we work hard to ensure the City is accessible and welcoming to all community members, no matter their age or income level, racial or cultural background, or skills and life-experience. I have worked hard with my fellow councilors, City staff, our partner agencies, and this community to make progress on all of our community goals and needs, including: housing, equity, transportation, parks, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, community engagement, and financial health, whether that was updating our code to address barriers to building ADUS and other diverse housing options, rebuilding the Children's Park, reducing barriers to community participation through a childcare stipend, or addressing odor issues at the wastewater treatment plan. We are a small City, with limited resources and limited capacity, and we have a lot of important and often competing, sometimes conflicting, priorities. There are no easy answers, and it will take a lot of work to meet the needs and improve the lives of all members of this community. I’d like to continue to do my part, and work hard, build collaboration, and lead with compassion.