Trevor Phillips (left) is running against incumbent Brad Nanke (right) to represent southeast Salem.
Salem Reporter wanted to know what issues were top of mind for this year’s crop of candidates for Salem City Council. We provided each candidate written questions intended to elicit their understanding of challenges the city faces and how they would overcome them. We will be publishing their responses ward by ward in the coming days.
To represent southeast Salem, Trevor Phillips is challenging incumbent Brad Nanke, who has served on the council for nearly two decades.
The election is on May 19.
Name: Brad Nanke
Age: 60
Home: Salem
Employer/position: Home Builders Insurance/Director of Safety & Training
Years at current job: 2
List leadership positions you have held in any nonprofit or civic organizations in the past five years.
North Santiam Watershed Council – chair/president 2013 – 2019, past president 2020
List any government service in the past five years, including boards/commissions and any leadership roles.
Salem City Councilor 2001 – present
City of Salem Audit/Finance Committee Chair 2001- present
City of Salem Water/Wastewater Task Force – Chair 2013 – present
City of Salem Legislative Committee – member
City of Salem Budget Committee – member
League of Oregon Cities Board of Directors, president 2016
What are the two defining issues facing Salem City Council right now?
COVID-19
Homelessness
List the three steps you would take to address those issues.
COVID-19 – Collaborate with city staff to identify resources to assist residents, businesses, and employees to recover from unemployment and business losses.
Continue working with the League of Oregon Cities, Governor’s Office, Oregon Health Authority, and Oregon Emergency Management to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic and to ensure we are prepared for additional surges or seasonal recurrence before the development of a vaccine. I have participated in seven conference calls as of the date of this submittal.
Continue working as a member of the building and construction safety task force which provides training resources and performs site visits to construction sites led by Oregon OSHA for observation and to provide best practices for contractors to keep property owners and employees safe.
Homelessness – Increase support to social service agencies to provide increased shelter beds and services.
Support a low-barrier shelter to accommodate those who cannot access current services.
Provide law enforcement the tools they need to address inappropriate behavior to keep our streets, sidewalks, and parks clean and safe.
How would those steps lead to a better life for Salem’s residents?
COVID-19 – Salem will realize higher levels of response and preparedness as we recover because of the relationships I have cultivated at both state and federal government levels.
Homelessness – Improve the conditions for our current homeless population by providing additional shelter and services while also providing safe streets, sidewalks, and parks thereby improving the quality of life for all in Salem.
The Salem City Council is often described as being made up of progressives and conservatives. What should voters know about your general posture towards issues that would place you in either one of those bloc?
I am a Constitutional Conservative. I believe in limited government and lower taxes. I believe that Salem should make the case when additional revenues are needed and voters should be asked, rather than have the council impose new taxes and fees upon them. The Salem City Council has enough local challenges to deal with and should focus all our resources on city operations versus trying to make social-political statements at the national level that have little or no direct benefit to Salem businesses or residents.
What key change or improvement would you like to see Salem make in the next 20 years?
I would like to see the Final Environmental Impact Statement process completed for the Salem River Crossing and then see the third bridge built. This regional transportation facility will reduce congestion for commuters and commerce, improve air quality, and provide a seismically stable river crossing that can withstand a Cascadia earthquake.
In 300 words, please provide an example or examples of a project or issue you were directly addressed in a leadership role. We are looking for examples of how your involvement resulted in specific action to resolve or improve a local issue.
I ran on the need to have a convention center in our downtown in 2000. A proposal to build a convention center was introduced during my first term. The City Council was concerned that the facility would not be profitable and would require the use of city general fund dollars to offset operating losses. During deliberations, it was apparent that the city council was going to reject the project.
I offered a proposal that enough firewalls be placed between the operations of the facility and the general fund, including significant requirements on the operator of the facility, to protect the general fund. The council ultimately approved the proposal and resulted in the construction of one of the state’s finest convention centers, one that has been profitable throughout its history.
In 300 words, please provide an example of a decision you made or action you took later proved to be unsuccessful or misguided. We are looking for an example of how you deal with failure or mistakes.
I have worked for over a decade to move the Salem River Crossing project forward. This is a regional transportation facility that is sorely needed for our city, region, and state. A third bridge has been a desire of our residents for generations and is supported by a significant majority of Salem voters in scientific polling. This project was unanimously supported by our project partners: Keizer, Marion, and Polk Counties. The current council majority voted to terminate the process last year.
In response, I have continued to pursue this project. I have worked to identify and support potential pro-bridge city council candidates and am prepared to get this project back on track if we can elect a pro-bridge majority on the city council.
In less than 100 words, describe why you want this office and how your candidacy would improve Salem.
I want to continue to serve on the council to address the many challenges currently facing the city. The homeless issue became a crisis for downtown employers and employees as well as for those who were living in horrible conditions on the city sidewalks. A third bridge is desperately needed. We need to assist our residents, businesses, and employees recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that my continued presence on the council will be in the best interest of the entire community and that my knowledge and experience will expedite the city’s ability to address these extremely challenging issues.
Name: Trevor Phillips
Age: 42
Home: southeast Salem
Employer/position: Salem Emergency Physicians Service, emergency room doctor
Years at current job: 12
List leadership positions you have held in any nonprofit or civic organizations in the past five years.
Salem Strategic Plan Study Group – member
Salem Health Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee – chair
List any government service in the past five years, including boards/commissions and any leadership roles.
Morningside Neighborhood Association – board member
Salem Downtown Homeless Solutions Task Force – member
What are the two defining issues facing Salem City Council right now?
Homelessness and the COVID-19 pandemic are the two biggest issues facing Salem. The third biggest issue is the need for improved infrastructure throughout Salem.
List the three steps you would take to address those issues.
1. I will work with community stake holders to staff a sobering center in Salem.
2. I will work with the State Legislature and community stake holders to create a Navigation Center in Salem.
3. I will work with regional health experts and community leaders to safely open up businesses in a way that saves lives.
How would those steps lead to a better life for Salem’s residents?
1. With a sobering center and a navigation center, Salem would have fewer unsheltered residents at any given point in time.
2. Providing our community members living with homelessness with additional resources will help them break the cycle of homelessness.
3. Utilizing health experts and science to make decisions regarding this pandemic will continue to save lives.
The Salem City Council is often described as being made up of progressives and conservatives. What should voters know about your general posture towards issues that would place you in either one of those bloc?
The Salem City Council is a small, nonpartisan body. Many votes are unanimous or can’t be easily categorized by ideology. For example, do progressives and conservatives differ on Salem’s drinking water? Voters can expect that I will be open-minded, ask questions, listen to my constituents, look carefully at the facts, and draw on evidence and best practices. Then, I will cast my vote for what I believe will be in the best interest of Ward 3 residents.
What key change or improvement would you like to see Salem make in the next 20 years?
Salem is updating its comprehensive plan, which will direct our city’s growth for the next 20-plus years. The organization and design of our physical environment and built infrastructure — homes, businesses districts, parks, street and sidewalks — will have a tremendous impact on the health, happiness, and success of our city’s residents. I would like to see our city improve our streets to make them safer for children, pedestrians and bikers. I would like to see more street trees, parks, and natural open spaces so that workers, families and children can get the many health benefits of outdoor recreation. Finally, I would like to see a development pattern that can be funded by our existing tax rates rather than increase property taxes to pay for growth and maintenance.
In 300 words, please provide an example or examples of a project or issue you were directly addressed in a leadership role. We are looking for examples of how your involvement resulted in specific action to resolve or improve a local issue.
In 2017, I participated in the Salem Strategic Plan study group, and I testified in favor of the creation of a local sobering center. In 2018, I was as a member of the Salem Homeless Solutions Task Force, and our 17 stake holders came together and proposed real solutions including prioritizing a sobering center and a Navigation Center. Earlier this year, the City of Salem considered removing the sobering center from its policy agenda. I met with Mayor Chuck Bennett and testified in favor of keeping a much needed sobering center on the city’s policy agenda, and I am proud that the creation of community sobering center remains on the city’s policy agenda to this day. I’ve also participated in numerous town halls and open houses to help ensure that we continue Salem’s efforts to achieve safe routes to school. I’ve testified in favor of the Child Friendly Cities resolution that was adopted by Salem City Council.
In 300 words, please provide an example of a decision you made or action you took later proved to be unsuccessful or misguided. We are looking for an example of how you deal with failure or mistakes.
I’ve learned that getting things done at city hall takes real commitment and time. While the space for a local sobering center is being built at the local ARCHES day facility, there is no plan to ensure that it actually is staffed. I am proud that it remains a goal on the city’s policy agenda, but I am frustrated that it hasn’t happened yet. There is essentially no disagreement in our first responder and frontline health care worker community; we know that Salem needs a sobering center. I’m running for Salem City Council now to make a difference for our community and to ensure that a much needed sobering center and the other real solutions proposed by the Homeless Solutions Task Force become a reality. In addition, I am running to help end the deaths and injuries that I see in the Emergency Room with safer crosswalks, sidewalks, streets and bikeways.
In less than 100 words, describe why you want this office and how your candidacy would improve Salem.
Ward 3 needs new leadership and real commitment to address the major issues facing Salem: homelessness and the pandemic. I will use science, data and my real world public health experience to make the best decisions for Ward 3 to ensure a successful Salem for all. As a board member of the Morningside Neighborhood Association and as an emergency room doctor who has cared for over 25,000 community members here in Salem, I know that I can make a difference. I ask for your support and your vote this May.
This story was updated to reflect Phillip’s employer.
