Hoy, Nordyke spar on ethics, homelessness during chamber mayoral debate 

Salem Mayor Julie Hoy said she deserves another term in office for helping bring financial stability and increasing public safety in Salem, while her challenger, Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, said the city needs a mayor who can operate ethically and transparently while focusing on solutions to Salem’s affordability and homelessness issues. 

The candidates met in a debate Monday where they took questions from the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, which put on the debate, as well as each other and the audience.

WATCH IT: The debate was recorded and posted online here.

The debate took place at the Salem Convention Center following a luncheon. The election that determines whether Hoy continues as mayor or Nordyke takes her place is not until May 19, and the winner’s term wouldn’t begin until January 2027. Hoy and Nordyke are the only two candidates currently filed for the race.

Hoy, a local restaurant owner, went first with her opening statement. 

“My first year as mayor has been a wild ride, if you haven’t noticed,” Hoy said. 

Hoy touted her success in getting the city outside help to deal with public safety and homelessness through the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

“It is not an easy application process, and our application was accepted,” Hoy said. “Bloomberg Harvard came to Salem and began work on my chosen priority which is public safety. I am just getting started and I look forward to a second term as your mayor.” 

Hoy touted the city council’s progress addressing the city’s budget deficit by passing a property tax increase to shore up funds to help support the library, parks and Center 50+. Prior to that, she said the deficit was reduced after a citizen-led review of the financial forecast.  

Nordyke’s opening statement focused on Salem’s growth and the challenges of affordability and dealing with homelessness. She is the executive director of CASA of Marion County, which provides advocates for youth in foster care.

She also touted her long-time support for a crisis response team, a team that will include emergency medical personnel and a mental health specialist, which the Salem Fire Department expects to launch early this year. 

Both Nordyke, Hoy and their colleagues on the city council voted to pursue such a team in addition to expanding city cleaning crews and the police department’s Homeless Services Team. 

“The mayor should be leading the charge to uplift our most vulnerable residents, support our businesses, create affordable housing, support our parks, libraries and senior center and ensure that our first responders have the tools they need,” Nordyke said.

City services, homelessness

The candidates largely agreed on their approaches to dealing with businesses in Salem and both pledged to reduce red tape and support local business. Both said they had no plans to increase taxes on businesses and said fostering a good relationship with the chamber and the business community is essential. 

Nordyke brought up ending the city’s tax on parking and giving businesses a refund on the parking tax collected by the city in July.

Hoy said the idea to end the tax was a council decision and did not originate with Nordyke.

An audience member asked Nordyke directly how she would harness the positive momentum created in Salem under Hoy and to continue that trajectory if she were to become mayor. 

Nordyke said the city levy was a team effort and guarantees there is funding for services that a lot of people consider essential like the senior center and the library. 

“Taking the momentum forward is going to take a lot of things. Transparency in government. Oversight. We need to make sure those funds are wisely spent,” Nordyke said. “They decided to vote for this and now we need to prove as city leaders that we will spend that money efficiently and effectively.” 

On homelessness, Hoy told the audience personal anecdotes about human feces and trash in Salem streets. 

She touted her proposal to the council to direct city staff to improve cooperation with the Oregon Department of Transportation to address homeless camping in state right-of-way within Salem. 

Hoy did not otherwise offer concrete solutions as to how to address the matter other than her support for public safety.

Nordyke said the city council has already authorized increased resources for city cleaning crews and the Homeless Services Team and said that in order to address homelessness, the city needs to have an honest conversation about what it is willing to spend to solve the problem. She also said there needs to be more shelters and more housing.

“Enforcement is not enough and enforcement is not cheap. While I have also voted to increase public safety funding, I have also voted to create pathways for people to exit homelessness once and for all,” Nordyke said, without elaborating.

Another audience member asked Nordyke to address the issue of empty beds in homeless shelters in Marion County. 

Nordyke said there are 2,100 people experiencing homelessness in the area. The figure comes from a January 2025 count of homeless people in Marion and Polk counties.

“We have a problem here that will take a lot more than an additional 100 beds a night. And it really requires a case by case process,” Nordyke said. 

Hoy was asked the same question, and said she was not aware of the 2,100 figure cited by Nordyke. She estimated, based on recent outings with the police Homeless Services Team, that there are about 170 people living in camps in Wallace Marine Park. 

“Unfortunately, shelter beds don’t always meet the requirements of those who meet them. And some can be harder to get into,” Hoy said. “If only, all those beds available at the Union Gospel Mission would be filled every night.” 

Ethics sparring 

The two candidates sparred on ethics matters after Nordyke asked Hoy if she would vote on city business that could benefit one of her campaign donors. 

Nordyke’s question was in reference to October 2024, when Hoy and City Councilor Deanna Gwyn voted on a land use appeal for an 11-lot subdivision on behalf of Creekside Golf Course LLC and the land’s buyer and developer Don Lulay Homes. Creekside is managed by Mountain West Investment Corp. and Larry Tokarski is Mountain West’s president. 

The council’s 6-2 vote waived rules for sidewalk installations along Creekside Road, saving the project $216,000. Both Lulay and Tokarski gave money to Hoy’s 2024 mayoral campaign. 

Nordyke said during the debate that Hoy approached her leading up to that vote and asked if it was wise to partake. Nordyke said she told Hoy, “absolutely not.” 

“Sadly, after that, we walked into the council chambers and you voted for it anyway. And I really wished you hadn’t. You didn’t need to do so,” Nordyke said. “If a donor’s real estate project comes up again on the council agenda, will you recuse yourself from participating in the vote?” 

Hoy responded to the question saying she did not recall Nordyke’s “absolutely not” response, and doubled down on her decision to vote. 

“I was not going to benefit financially from that decision, therefore I felt that it was important to participate in the vote. Development is facing a lot of difficulty when it comes to getting projects completed, and these unnecessary expenses. Saving that development project, $200,000…actually saves the potential homebuyer,” Hoy said. “The answer is yes. If I am not going to benefit financially there is no reason not to participate in that vote.” 

Nordyke then asked Hoy what her three biggest mistakes were in her first year as mayor. 

Hoy said one mistake was signing a letter of support for the state’s multi-billion dollar transportation package without first reviewing it. She later issued her own letter clarifying she was against the package. 

Her second mistake, she said, was not asking for a mute button at city council meetings given certain behavior made by people providing public testimony, and third was getting food poisoning. 

That elicited a few laughs from the audience. 

Nordyke then brought up the Oregon Government Ethics Commission investigation that concluded in October that Hoy, Council President Linda Nishioka, Nordyke, Gwyn, and Councilors Paul Tigan and Micki Varney participated in an illegal serial meeting to avoid publicly deciding on the employment of Keith Stahley, then the city manager.

“It’s been almost a year since the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. And I thought that by now you would have accepted responsibility for your role in that. We all have. Every one of us has accepted responsibility, but you may be the first mayor in Salem history to get us dragged into an Oregon Government Ethics Commission investigation,” Nordyke said. 

As of January, all of the councilors involved in the commission’s probe have resolved their cases except for Hoy.

Nordyke reiterated the commission’s conclusion that Hoy told Nishioka that the majority of the council supported Stahley’s resignation when that was not the case. 

“I find it really unfortunate that this was an opportunity to come clean, and you haven’t done so…I think that that was a huge mistake,” Nordyke said. 

Hoy then had a chance to ask Nordyke a question. She paused for several seconds, then began to address the ethics case. 

Hoy defended herself and said she was only following the city attorney’s advice when she spoke to councilors about Stahley. 

She then asked Nordyke, “Why did you choose to believe Councilor Nishioka’s version of events over the reality of the conversation we had?” Hoy asked Nordyke. 

Nordyke responded that she believed the conclusions adopted by the ethics commission following a months-long investigation. 

“You said I may be the first mayor to ever experience this level of…whatever you call it. And the truth is, this body, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, was only formed in November 2023,” Hoy said. “We just got to go first.” 

The nine-member citizen Oregon Government Ethics Commission was established in 1974 by a vote, according to the state’s website, though the state law councilors were accused of violating was changed in 2023. 

Future debates, final words 

An audience member asked the candidates if they would do any more debates as the race continued, especially at no cost, given that the chamber debate cost $45 to attend. Both said they would consider it. 

“I am not going to lie, it is not my favorite thing to do,” Hoy said. “But I would consider that, depending on the circumstances.” 

Nordyke said she would absolutely do more debates and said the chamber debate is simply too expensive and out of reach for a lot of people in Salem. 

Nordyke went first with her final words to the room. 

“The capital of Oregon should be a shining example for all Oregon cities. We could be a city with a roof over every head, a city that uses every taxpayer dollar effectively and efficiently, a city of peace where everyone feels safe,” Nordyke said. “A city that protects the human rights of every person, no exceptions. A city of transparency where business is conducted in broad daylight at city hall. A city with a bustling economy where our local businesses feel supported and are thriving, and are jonesing to move here. A city with parks, libraries and cultural events that are free and accessible to all.” 

Hoy reiterated her status as a small business owner and said she is proud to serve as mayor.

“Above all else, I am a child of God. And if I didn’t feel called to this work, I wouldn’t be doing it. A year ago, Salem was on life support. An almost $30 million swing in a municipal budget in less than six months is unheard of,” Hoy said. “And do that while you are facing a lack of public trust, a lack of public safety, homeless, mental, and addiction crises, face a housing crisis, and serious affordability issues. All that while fighting against state and federal decisions which at every turn impede progress.”  

She touted great leadership in Salem with the progress made since last year. She said her priority is to continue working on creating stability in the city. 

“It might not be sexy. But it is solid. And it’s working,” Hoy said.

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected]. 

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