Mark Zanmiller

Political platform statement

Why I am running for this office: I believe that Hood River is truly a special place. As city leaders and advocates, we have the responsibility to build on what we have by engaging with the community, listening honestly, and continuously improving the way we do things. As City councilor, I will continue to think progressively, work hard, and act cooperatively to make Hood River better.

I have been an active member of the City Council for the last 8 years. Prior to that, I was an elected Parks District Board member for 16 years. I also serve on the MCEDD board, and am an appointed member of the Dept of Commerce District Export Committee. I love being a volunteer in Hood River, and in addition to board work, was deeply involved in Waterfront Park, Rotary Skate Park, and both Children’s Park builds. I am married with two adult daughters.

I am proud of our work on Council and that done by the City, led by our City Manager Rachel Fuller. We have a great group of professionals who care deeply about Hood River. Giving staff the tools, resources, and bandwidth to implement good solutions is a huge part of Council’s job. The most fascinatingly tricky thing about being on council, is finding a way to balance the desire to do many things quickly with the staff bandwidth available. There are active efforts to address housing, communications, active transportation, environment and energy, infrastructure, and parks.

I am open to any conversation about the City, listening to perspectives and opinions, and sharing my thoughts and positions. Our ability to communicate about what is being worked on, and effectively get feedback/inputs IS incredibly important and very difficult.