Candidate profiles: Mayor, City of Hood River

Born in and have lived in Hood River County all my life. Public service includes: Hood River City Planning Commission for eight years, city councilor appointment in 2012 and subsequently elected twice. Appointed as mayor last year, I view myself as a consensus builder. Hood River Energy Council member. 

How does your previous experience specifically help qualify you for this elected role?  

Sitting on the planning commission educated and familiarized me with land use issues and hearings. Land use is a huge part of what council does. Housing, parking, parks plans, public services siting, roads, sidewalks, and urban renewal all include land use aspects and decisions. These are issues that affect everyone.

Tell us why you are running for this office and list your top three concerns. 

Growing up in a blue collar family and personally knowing of the struggles to maintain a household in this area of expensive housing keeps me motivated to help these hard working people with policies that might allow them a way to live in the community they are contributing to. There is a large need for additional housing types.

Social Equity — The COVID-19 crisis has illuminated the fragility of those that live paycheck to paycheck and those essential workers that have put the well-being of others above their own. 

Climate Change — Its affect on our community and need for preparedness by the city.

Cite a specific program or initiative the city is either not currently doing or you feel could be done better. 

Streamlining and communication within the planning/building process is something the city was working on when COVID-19 hit. This is being picked back up now. Additionally, changes to the process in order to make the municipal codes more consolidated and user friendly will help streamline permitting. 

What are ways the city work can maximize its effectiveness in enacting policy and carrying out services?  

Communication is key to being an effective organization and allowing citizen input so they are involved in the early stages of policy making. We can never do enough to improve our outreach to the community. The city was prepared with upgraded technology when COVID-19 started, which allowed city services to continue with a minimum of interruptions for both citizens and public employees. We also moved seamlessly to online council and planning meetings. This is an ongoing process for our staff.  Looking ahead and being prepared financially and physically ready for these types of bumps in the road is essential.  

Dani Correa

I was raised in Hood River and I’m a sixth generation Oregonian. I’m a wife and mother of two children. I’ve owned a small business for nearly 15 years and have become increasingly interested in local issues and their impact on our community and local businesses.

How does your previous experience specifically help qualify you for this elected role? 

As an informed and engaged community member, small business owner and president of the HRHBA (Hood River Heights Business Association), I know our community and our shared concerns. I have faithfully attended city meetings over the past 18 months to educate myself about local issues and policy. I’m passionate about accessible and accountable governance.

Tell us why you are running for this office and list your top three concerns. 

I believe that our city council and city administration should be visible to the community and responsive to the concerns of the people they serve. We each have a role to play by being engaged. Our community wants city council to reflect and listen to those that they serve. We are experiencing unprecedented challenges today and my takeaway is that voters in Hood River are ready to see change. We deserve solutions to the pressing issues of equitable housing, accessible infrastructure and public health and safety. I’m running for mayor to make sure the voices of the people are heard.

Cite a specific program or initiative the city is either not currently doing or you feel could be done better.

The city council should have the political will to meet the parking needs of our downtown business core. Business owners and developers are trying to respond to parking needs for their businesses and meeting the goal of worker housing. Prioritize a public-private partnership and get it done.

What are ways the city work can maximize its effectiveness in enacting policy and carrying out services?

Community involvement has been a city goal since at least 2014. Our city council and committees need systemic change. They’ve invited us to vote for more representative voices that better understand the needs of our community, and we should do just that. Parking, crowding in City Hall and dinner time meetings make it difficult to attend. With consideration of these constraints, every city meeting should be live streamed on a city YouTube channel. Every city meeting should be transcribed immediately and made public. Transparency and inclusion are required if the desired outcome is a well-informed and engaged community.