(Pictured: The budget session this past Wednesday with inset of Brew & Tap's Mitch Teal; City YouTube video taken during Teal's testimony--in video foreground, City Finance Director Rob Moody (L) and City Manager Kenna West)
INDEPENDENCE BUDGET COMMITTEE UPDATEBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
The budget committee for 2025-26 is facing the wrenching task of approving cuts across city services. So far, the proposed slashes include reducing the library hours by one day a week, selling the museum building and combining it with the library, closing City Hall on Fridays and doing away with support for the city's Fourth of July celebration, “Independence Days.”
The reaction to the latter – a long-standing tradition beloved by many – was swift and continues. In an editorial analysis, Trammart News covers the response by a speaker this past week to the planned cancellation of Independence Days in 2026 by the budget committee – and tries to answer resident questions in the section that follows it.
A plea to keep the Fourth of July celebration, the town's signature holiday, by scaling it down was publicly issued this week by the co-owner of a business that frequently seems the biggest draw for customers in downtown Independence, Brew Coffee and Taphouse, at the corner of C and Main streets.
In an address to the city's budget committee this past Wednesday, Mitch Teal, who owns "Brew & Tap" with his wife Cathy, noted that the revenue triples during the Fourth of July event. He urged the committee to keep it. "It doesn't need to be what it is now," he said. "It can be a lot smaller and still attract a lot of people."
This year's celebration will go on as usual; the cancellation is proposed to kick-in next year.
The Teal's coffee-and-tavern establishment, which features food ranging from pastry to pizza and drinks that include custom-coffee creations, is just one of the downtown businesses that could be seriously impacted, according to interviews along Main Street.
There may be long-term effects, as well, they predicted.
The loss of the town's Fourth of July celebration, Independence Days, could mean dwindling recognition for the city -- the event has drawn thousands to town annually. Lower familiarity of the quaint downtown and waterfront location threatens to reduce tourism, turning Main Street into more vacant storefronts and struggling businesses, according to several who were asked about the budgetary decision to "step away" from holding the event.
"It would affect a lot of people on Main Street," Teal affirmed in his brief speech to the budget committee members.
Residents have objected to the plan, as well, registering shock and sadness at public meetings, including inside conversations at the recent meet-and-greet of candidates for the new principal of Central High School last week.
One school-budget committee member, Shannon Ball, sent a letter to the city's budget committee explaining why. She pointed out that the budget document itself clearly states that two of the goals are community engagement and economic development. "But If you eliminate the Independence Days as proposed in the budget document, that is going against the goals of keeping the community engaged and providing economic development," she said.
"Independence Days is what our community looks forward to each year and what people in neighboring districts love about our town," she added.
Several of those affiliated with the city have said they hope another organization will come forward to take over the town's namesake holiday, which has linked the City of Independence with the Fourth of July – the town never fails to have impressive fireworks and lots of activities for families.
However, two groups identified as likely to take over have said there is little chance of that. Participants and supporters of the Independence Downtown Association or the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce have indicated the event requires more volunteers and money than either is likely to have.
-- Questions and Answers --
The first six questions are from residents; The last four are from Trammart News. All questions were forwarded to the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, who was contacted by email, letter and a phone call. No response was received.
Trammart News attempted to address them through other sources, which are listed behind the answers below. Resident questions are boldfaced; Trammart News questions are not boldfaced, but answers are, to distinguish the two sets.
1) There's an ad for a finance manager – does this mean a new staff addition or is the finance director going to leave?
Yes, Rob Moody, the current finance director, is scheduled to depart the city staff in December. A replacement is currently being sought. (City budget meeting of April 30, 2025).
2) How would the 4-day weeks at City Hall save money? Does the staff work later? Or do they get to work remotely from home on Fridays? I don't understand this.
A precise dollars-and-cents savings wasn’t available upon request. There was no discussion on cost savings by closing the library or city hall one extra day a week, for example. But, it is one of the many changes, including no money for book-buying, that seemed to prompt Library Director Patrick Bodily to tell budget committee members: "We have hit bone." (City budget meeting, April 30, 2025)
This appears to be an important sticking point with residents – several have asked for clarity. For instance, because the city manager was videotaped in her introductory segment to city residents accompanied by horses on her property – and she has mentioned her barrel-racing – one resident asked if she will conduct city business on horseback, the result of new three-day weekends. (There is no evidence of that, of course, but the question appears to reflect doubt about cost-saving; Another inquiry will be sent by Trammart News.)
The productivity results of a four-day work week have been found to be variable – possibly because so many factors can be at play. The four-day work week, or 4DWW as it is called, may mean longer days in lieu of Fridays or it may mean shorter, 32-hour work weeks for employees. Cost savings appear difficult to measure (T. Campbell in Management Review Quarterly, 2024, vol. 74, issue 3, No 16)
3) Why can't the city sell property it already owns – like the gravel-covered part by city hall – instead of a park?
This has been mentioned by several residents, and inquiries have been made by Trammart News, with no answer so far. However, the sale of property hasn’t yet been discussed in budget committee meetings. So, it may be addressed in the next meeting, scheduled for this Wednesday.
One finding so far: Finance Director Moody confirmed at a recent meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency that there are three unsold lots on the riverside stretch of property that comprise the city’s “Independence Landing” – the city purchased land containing those segments several years ago. They apparently are to be sold for development.
4) Where did the more than $750,000 shortfall come from? A councilor keeps asking that question, too.
Emails have been sent to City Manager Kenna West suggesting that a clear explanation of the origin of the shortfall is a good strategy to help prevent further distress – a method advocated by the Government Finance Officers Association. (https://www.gfoa.org/fiscal-first-aid)
To deal with shortfalls, some Oregon cities have formed independent teams of financial volunteers, whose report precedes the budget committee. Salem has an all-volunteer revenue-advisory task force, begun in 2024. (https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/boards-commissions/other-advisory-groups/2024-revenue-task-force)
The Independence budget appears to have been presented as “balanced” last year, when approved by the city council. But a shortfall followed.
How do other local governments face this? Some Oregon cities have a “shortfall-busting” approach, to head this off. West Linn, for example, has a bar chart, which updates daily, in which a simple graphic shows how city spending is unfolding in critical areas – General Fund, Public Safety – compared to what has been budgeted. (https://westlinnoregon.gov/finance/financial-dashboard)
5) There is no news on how the eminent-domain property acquisition is going. Did the city buy the land?
The land changed hands from the farm family that initially owned the property but refused the city’s offer; Another buyer then purchased the land. The city and the new owner reportedly have been in frequent negotiations, but there has been no publicly disclosed update. (The Independent, Fall 2024, by Trammart News & Publishing)
6) Why does the public works director get to spend so much money?
On the city’s public works page a few months ago, 11 different projects were listed. Though not all were being actively constructed or repaired, there are multiple tasks (https://www.ci.independence.or.us/public-works-projects/)
The current public works director, Gerald Fisher, has announced plans to retire at the end of this fiscal year, so his successor may take a different approach to the job.
7) The bonds obtained by TN's recent public records request about payments for the Independence Civic Center show payments are being made on schedule for the bonds. However, the bonds appear to encompass more debt than the Independence Civic Center. Can you clarify?
No. Trammart News has made another public-records request.
8) Trammart News was told by state officials that making good-faith progress toward obtaining water-treatment funding for the technology to access water rights on the Willamette River could mean an extension for the city. Does that still hold?
Yes and no. If a water right isn’t used, it can become subject to forfeiture. But, to remove rights, the state is under obligation to show the water right is unused. Also, there are reasons to excuse non-use. It’s a complicated issue – and involves definitions of use, what constitutes progress, as well as other factors, according to the Oregon Water Resource Department.
9) To meet future water needs by 2028, water treatment expansion is needed – but that was an estimate made a few years ago when Independence was said to be one of the state's most fast-growing cities. That is not true now. No substantial growth has occurred since SDCs were raised. Does this change the date of the water-shortage projection?
Quite possibly. Population growth is relatively stagnant,(https://www.oregon.gov/das/oea/Documents/demographic.pdf)
However, there are several new housing developments scheduled, and city officials have said they expect them to come "online" in the near future. (City budget committee meeting, April 30, 2025)
10) Is the $7.5 million loan taken out this year by the city – a line of credit with Umpqua Bank – limited to use for water infrastructure and design, or can it be used to shore up the shortfall or to meet other revenue needs?
Without seeing the loan contract, that remains an unknown. However, an experienced city administrator told Trammart News that the design of the treatment plant – for which the loan was taken out – is currently unlikely to exceed $4-to-$5 million. The total cost for the water treatment plant is estimated at $44 million, and most estimates put the design fee at 5% to 10% of that price (https://engineeringdesignresources.com/tag/how-to-estimate-engineering-design-cost-as-percentage-of-construction-cost/#google_vignette) ▪
INDEPENDENCE BUDGET COMMITTEE UPDATEBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
The budget committee for 2025-26 is facing the wrenching task of approving cuts across city services. So far, the proposed slashes include reducing the library hours by one day a week, selling the museum building and combining it with the library, closing City Hall on Fridays and doing away with support for the city's Fourth of July celebration, “Independence Days.”
The reaction to the latter – a long-standing tradition beloved by many – was swift and continues. In an editorial analysis, Trammart News covers the response by a speaker this past week to the planned cancellation of Independence Days in 2026 by the budget committee – and tries to answer resident questions in the section that follows it.
A plea to keep the Fourth of July celebration, the town's signature holiday, by scaling it down was publicly issued this week by the co-owner of a business that frequently seems the biggest draw for customers in downtown Independence, Brew Coffee and Taphouse, at the corner of C and Main streets.
In an address to the city's budget committee this past Wednesday, Mitch Teal, who owns "Brew & Tap" with his wife Cathy, noted that the revenue triples during the Fourth of July event. He urged the committee to keep it. "It doesn't need to be what it is now," he said. "It can be a lot smaller and still attract a lot of people."
This year's celebration will go on as usual; the cancellation is proposed to kick-in next year.
The Teal's coffee-and-tavern establishment, which features food ranging from pastry to pizza and drinks that include custom-coffee creations, is just one of the downtown businesses that could be seriously impacted, according to interviews along Main Street.
There may be long-term effects, as well, they predicted.
The loss of the town's Fourth of July celebration, Independence Days, could mean dwindling recognition for the city -- the event has drawn thousands to town annually. Lower familiarity of the quaint downtown and waterfront location threatens to reduce tourism, turning Main Street into more vacant storefronts and struggling businesses, according to several who were asked about the budgetary decision to "step away" from holding the event.
"It would affect a lot of people on Main Street," Teal affirmed in his brief speech to the budget committee members.
Residents have objected to the plan, as well, registering shock and sadness at public meetings, including inside conversations at the recent meet-and-greet of candidates for the new principal of Central High School last week.
One school-budget committee member, Shannon Ball, sent a letter to the city's budget committee explaining why. She pointed out that the budget document itself clearly states that two of the goals are community engagement and economic development. "But If you eliminate the Independence Days as proposed in the budget document, that is going against the goals of keeping the community engaged and providing economic development," she said.
"Independence Days is what our community looks forward to each year and what people in neighboring districts love about our town," she added.
Several of those affiliated with the city have said they hope another organization will come forward to take over the town's namesake holiday, which has linked the City of Independence with the Fourth of July – the town never fails to have impressive fireworks and lots of activities for families.
However, two groups identified as likely to take over have said there is little chance of that. Participants and supporters of the Independence Downtown Association or the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce have indicated the event requires more volunteers and money than either is likely to have.
-- Questions and Answers --
The first six questions are from residents; The last four are from Trammart News. All questions were forwarded to the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, who was contacted by email, letter and a phone call. No response was received.
Trammart News attempted to address them through other sources, which are listed behind the answers below. Resident questions are boldfaced; Trammart News questions are not boldfaced, but answers are, to distinguish the two sets.
1) There's an ad for a finance manager – does this mean a new staff addition or is the finance director going to leave?
Yes, Rob Moody, the current finance director, is scheduled to depart the city staff in December. A replacement is currently being sought. (City budget meeting of April 30, 2025).
2) How would the 4-day weeks at City Hall save money? Does the staff work later? Or do they get to work remotely from home on Fridays? I don't understand this.
A precise dollars-and-cents savings wasn’t available upon request. There was no discussion on cost savings by closing the library or city hall one extra day a week, for example. But, it is one of the many changes, including no money for book-buying, that seemed to prompt Library Director Patrick Bodily to tell budget committee members: "We have hit bone." (City budget meeting, April 30, 2025)
This appears to be an important sticking point with residents – several have asked for clarity. For instance, because the city manager was videotaped in her introductory segment to city residents accompanied by horses on her property – and she has mentioned her barrel-racing – one resident asked if she will conduct city business on horseback, the result of new three-day weekends. (There is no evidence of that, of course, but the question appears to reflect doubt about cost-saving; Another inquiry will be sent by Trammart News.)
The productivity results of a four-day work week have been found to be variable – possibly because so many factors can be at play. The four-day work week, or 4DWW as it is called, may mean longer days in lieu of Fridays or it may mean shorter, 32-hour work weeks for employees. Cost savings appear difficult to measure (T. Campbell in Management Review Quarterly, 2024, vol. 74, issue 3, No 16)
3) Why can't the city sell property it already owns – like the gravel-covered part by city hall – instead of a park?
This has been mentioned by several residents, and inquiries have been made by Trammart News, with no answer so far. However, the sale of property hasn’t yet been discussed in budget committee meetings. So, it may be addressed in the next meeting, scheduled for this Wednesday.
One finding so far: Finance Director Moody confirmed at a recent meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency that there are three unsold lots on the riverside stretch of property that comprise the city’s “Independence Landing” – the city purchased land containing those segments several years ago. They apparently are to be sold for development.
4) Where did the more than $750,000 shortfall come from? A councilor keeps asking that question, too.
Emails have been sent to City Manager Kenna West suggesting that a clear explanation of the origin of the shortfall is a good strategy to help prevent further distress – a method advocated by the Government Finance Officers Association. (https://www.gfoa.org/fiscal-first-aid)
To deal with shortfalls, some Oregon cities have formed independent teams of financial volunteers, whose report precedes the budget committee. Salem has an all-volunteer revenue-advisory task force, begun in 2024. (https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/boards-commissions/other-advisory-groups/2024-revenue-task-force)
The Independence budget appears to have been presented as “balanced” last year, when approved by the city council. But a shortfall followed.
How do other local governments face this? Some Oregon cities have a “shortfall-busting” approach, to head this off. West Linn, for example, has a bar chart, which updates daily, in which a simple graphic shows how city spending is unfolding in critical areas – General Fund, Public Safety – compared to what has been budgeted. (https://westlinnoregon.gov/finance/financial-dashboard)
5) There is no news on how the eminent-domain property acquisition is going. Did the city buy the land?
The land changed hands from the farm family that initially owned the property but refused the city’s offer; Another buyer then purchased the land. The city and the new owner reportedly have been in frequent negotiations, but there has been no publicly disclosed update. (The Independent, Fall 2024, by Trammart News & Publishing)
6) Why does the public works director get to spend so much money?
On the city’s public works page a few months ago, 11 different projects were listed. Though not all were being actively constructed or repaired, there are multiple tasks (https://www.ci.independence.or.us/public-works-projects/)
The current public works director, Gerald Fisher, has announced plans to retire at the end of this fiscal year, so his successor may take a different approach to the job.
7) The bonds obtained by TN's recent public records request about payments for the Independence Civic Center show payments are being made on schedule for the bonds. However, the bonds appear to encompass more debt than the Independence Civic Center. Can you clarify?
No. Trammart News has made another public-records request.
8) Trammart News was told by state officials that making good-faith progress toward obtaining water-treatment funding for the technology to access water rights on the Willamette River could mean an extension for the city. Does that still hold?
Yes and no. If a water right isn’t used, it can become subject to forfeiture. But, to remove rights, the state is under obligation to show the water right is unused. Also, there are reasons to excuse non-use. It’s a complicated issue – and involves definitions of use, what constitutes progress, as well as other factors, according to the Oregon Water Resource Department.
9) To meet future water needs by 2028, water treatment expansion is needed – but that was an estimate made a few years ago when Independence was said to be one of the state's most fast-growing cities. That is not true now. No substantial growth has occurred since SDCs were raised. Does this change the date of the water-shortage projection?
Quite possibly. Population growth is relatively stagnant,(https://www.oregon.gov/das/oea/Documents/demographic.pdf)
However, there are several new housing developments scheduled, and city officials have said they expect them to come "online" in the near future. (City budget committee meeting, April 30, 2025)
10) Is the $7.5 million loan taken out this year by the city – a line of credit with Umpqua Bank – limited to use for water infrastructure and design, or can it be used to shore up the shortfall or to meet other revenue needs?
Without seeing the loan contract, that remains an unknown. However, an experienced city administrator told Trammart News that the design of the treatment plant – for which the loan was taken out – is currently unlikely to exceed $4-to-$5 million. The total cost for the water treatment plant is estimated at $44 million, and most estimates put the design fee at 5% to 10% of that price (https://engineeringdesignresources.com/tag/how-to-estimate-engineering-design-cost-as-percentage-of-construction-cost/#google_vignette) ▪
[Pictured: Corvallis Road at twilight; Inset is annexation proponent and Public Works Director Gerald Fisher (Inset photo: city website)]
Some Corvallis Road residents push back to contain annexation attempt
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
For years, Corvallis Road was a thoroughfare lined by houses with signs advertising blueberries or tomatoes and yards where domestic chickens and wild turkeys wandered. Now the roadway is a firing line for divided opinions on city annexation.
South of the city limits and inside the urban growth boundary are a group of residents who have succeeded so far in stalling an action to annex Corvallis Road – with a new hearing on it scheduled this month – but annexation of Corvallis Road remains a priority, according to a budget hearing last week.
In an address to the city’s budget committee, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher reiterated that the plan to bring Corvallis Road into the city limits is going forward. "The sooner we take control of that roadway, get it assessed, and know what improvements need to be done, we can get ahead of it, instead of letting it deteriorate,” he said.
The concern among residents isn’t deterioration – several say good maintenance has been provided by Polk County over the years – but they fear the annexation will impact their way of life. Property on Corvallis Road is scheduled to be the new home of a $44 million water-treatment plant that is currently in the planning stages.
The decision by the city to annex Corvallis Road perplexed some residents in Independence – about a dozen showed up to protest it at a city council meeting last month. Rick Hopkins, who has lived in the area for four decades, thinks he knows why the city wants it.
Hopkins, a former fire chief of Polk County Fire District #1 in Independence, sees annexation of Corvallis Road as a starting point. If it occurs, his property and others would be surrounded by city limits – making further annexation relatively easy for the city. Just about all it would take is a council vote, he pointed out.
The annexation of the road seems a likely first step. "I would bet every penny I have in the bank that is the reason," he said.
To prevent that from happening, Hopkins and others are asking that the city enter into an agreement that would guarantee the rest of the area – meaning their homes and property – won’t be next, becoming part of the city.
Hopkins and several of his neighbors say the taxes would increase substantially, in his case to roughly $3,000 more a year. That could be tough to pay for retirees on fixed incomes – and that is how some of those living along Corvallis Road characterize themselves.
They would also have to pay utility fees – but Hopkins and others use their own wells and septic tanks.
Citing an Oregon statute that would allow such a moratorium on full annexation, Hopkins submitted a letter this week to City Planning Manager Fred Evander, asking for a contractual agreement. Evander, at the meeting in which residents along Corvallis Road spoke against the Corvallis Road annexation, said he would be happy to sign a letter saying the roadway was the goal, not the rest of the area.
The city is in debt, Hopkins pointed out. "It's all about the money," he said. "So, let's make a contract that is signed," he added.
Residents along the roadway are dubious about the Independence public works director’s opinion that the roadway would be better off under the city’s responsibility – the city is currently facing a shortfall of $776,000.
In fact, Polk County has the highest rated paved road system of any county in Oregon. “I don't necessarily agree that Independence needs the road to keep it from deteriorating,” said engineer Todd Whitaker, director of public works for the county. However, “the bottom line is that annexation and jurisdictional transfer is a logical process of orderly development and Polk County encourages it,” Whitaker said.
A report of jurisdictional transfers was delivered Wednesday, at a meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners. However, so far Corvallis Road isn’t on the list of applicants for a transfer from the county to the City of Independence.
Hopkins said he agrees that once an urban growth boundary is established, it means a likely city extension in the future. However, residents are wary of how soon that will occur.
Corvallis Road property owner Kathy Hill, who is related to the pioneering Henry Hill family that founded Independence, acknowledged that there is some distrust in city government. “I think everybody our direction has gotten pretty leery” when it comes to city assurances of “they’re going to” or ”not going to“ do something, Hill said. ▪
Some Corvallis Road residents push back to contain annexation attempt
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
For years, Corvallis Road was a thoroughfare lined by houses with signs advertising blueberries or tomatoes and yards where domestic chickens and wild turkeys wandered. Now the roadway is a firing line for divided opinions on city annexation.
South of the city limits and inside the urban growth boundary are a group of residents who have succeeded so far in stalling an action to annex Corvallis Road – with a new hearing on it scheduled this month – but annexation of Corvallis Road remains a priority, according to a budget hearing last week.
In an address to the city’s budget committee, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher reiterated that the plan to bring Corvallis Road into the city limits is going forward. "The sooner we take control of that roadway, get it assessed, and know what improvements need to be done, we can get ahead of it, instead of letting it deteriorate,” he said.
The concern among residents isn’t deterioration – several say good maintenance has been provided by Polk County over the years – but they fear the annexation will impact their way of life. Property on Corvallis Road is scheduled to be the new home of a $44 million water-treatment plant that is currently in the planning stages.
The decision by the city to annex Corvallis Road perplexed some residents in Independence – about a dozen showed up to protest it at a city council meeting last month. Rick Hopkins, who has lived in the area for four decades, thinks he knows why the city wants it.
Hopkins, a former fire chief of Polk County Fire District #1 in Independence, sees annexation of Corvallis Road as a starting point. If it occurs, his property and others would be surrounded by city limits – making further annexation relatively easy for the city. Just about all it would take is a council vote, he pointed out.
The annexation of the road seems a likely first step. "I would bet every penny I have in the bank that is the reason," he said.
To prevent that from happening, Hopkins and others are asking that the city enter into an agreement that would guarantee the rest of the area – meaning their homes and property – won’t be next, becoming part of the city.
Hopkins and several of his neighbors say the taxes would increase substantially, in his case to roughly $3,000 more a year. That could be tough to pay for retirees on fixed incomes – and that is how some of those living along Corvallis Road characterize themselves.
They would also have to pay utility fees – but Hopkins and others use their own wells and septic tanks.
Citing an Oregon statute that would allow such a moratorium on full annexation, Hopkins submitted a letter this week to City Planning Manager Fred Evander, asking for a contractual agreement. Evander, at the meeting in which residents along Corvallis Road spoke against the Corvallis Road annexation, said he would be happy to sign a letter saying the roadway was the goal, not the rest of the area.
The city is in debt, Hopkins pointed out. "It's all about the money," he said. "So, let's make a contract that is signed," he added.
Residents along the roadway are dubious about the Independence public works director’s opinion that the roadway would be better off under the city’s responsibility – the city is currently facing a shortfall of $776,000.
In fact, Polk County has the highest rated paved road system of any county in Oregon. “I don't necessarily agree that Independence needs the road to keep it from deteriorating,” said engineer Todd Whitaker, director of public works for the county. However, “the bottom line is that annexation and jurisdictional transfer is a logical process of orderly development and Polk County encourages it,” Whitaker said.
A report of jurisdictional transfers was delivered Wednesday, at a meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners. However, so far Corvallis Road isn’t on the list of applicants for a transfer from the county to the City of Independence.
Hopkins said he agrees that once an urban growth boundary is established, it means a likely city extension in the future. However, residents are wary of how soon that will occur.
Corvallis Road property owner Kathy Hill, who is related to the pioneering Henry Hill family that founded Independence, acknowledged that there is some distrust in city government. “I think everybody our direction has gotten pretty leery” when it comes to city assurances of “they’re going to” or ”not going to“ do something, Hill said. ▪
(Pictured: The event with inset of departing CHS Assistant Principal Laura Waight & CHS alum and booster, Mike Ainsworth)
Public event for meeting principal candidates at Central High School draws a crowd full of questionsBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
About 40 parents, teachers and residents showed up this past Wednesday at Central High School to meet candidates vying to be the school’s next principal – a job that so far has attracted no one with what one parent called “staying power” over the past few years.
Some of those who attended said they hope the tide will turn with a new top hire, after a discouraging trend of departures.
The longest-running principal in recent history, Donna Servignat, served for four years in the post. She eventually was promoted to district-leadership position but left after an unanticipated salary decrease.
Servignat, who is now principal of Summit High School in the Bend-La Pine School District, was succeeded by a seasoned assistant principal, Brent “Mac” McConaghy, who left after only a year to return to Medford.
Subsequently, Dale Pedersen, a longtime school administrator, accepted the job as interim principal for the 2023-24 school years – and then was named CHS principal in 2024. However, Pedersen exited this spring after absences for health reasons.
Veteran Principal Greg English stepped in to fill those shoes for the rest of the academic year, but he was described as definitely a temporary replacement. Several teachers observed that English, who reportedly is well-liked, made it clear that he is ready for retirement.
The three candidates who are competing to become the CHS principal in 2025 all have local ties to the Willamette Valley. Rick Dormer, the principal of Ketchikan High School in Alaska, has a work history that includes time at Sweet Home, Corvallis, Aloha, and Southeastern Alaska. He’s a graduate of Oregon State University.
Dormer worked for nearly a decade as a teacher and more than 15 years as an administrator.
Dean Rech is an alum of Western Oregon University, who has coached football, basketball, and baseball. Rech has spent a dozen years in the classroom and 17 years as an administrator. An online search shows he’s served most recently as principal of Junior-Senior High School in the Central Linn School District in Halsey and at Sheridan High School.
.
Justin Lieuallen, a former high school science teacher, is the manager of Special Education Behavior and social-emotional learning programs in the Jefferson County School District. He’s been in an administrative role for 22 years.
Conversations among the three candidates, who were stationed at different points in the multi-purpose room for the meet-and-greet, seemed to focus on how to meet the challenges of the coming school year: the financial strain, the high absentee rates.
Several parents observed these are problems common in other districts. However, one cluster of them stressed that communication – good, steady, friendly communication – is what they hope to see in a new principal.
Justine Netcher, who has younger children, said she was there to stay informed on who will be heading the high school, hopefully in years to come. As a graduate of Central High, she is a proud alumnus. “I would like my children to feel the same way, one day,” she said. ▪
Public event for meeting principal candidates at Central High School draws a crowd full of questionsBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025
About 40 parents, teachers and residents showed up this past Wednesday at Central High School to meet candidates vying to be the school’s next principal – a job that so far has attracted no one with what one parent called “staying power” over the past few years.
Some of those who attended said they hope the tide will turn with a new top hire, after a discouraging trend of departures.
The longest-running principal in recent history, Donna Servignat, served for four years in the post. She eventually was promoted to district-leadership position but left after an unanticipated salary decrease.
Servignat, who is now principal of Summit High School in the Bend-La Pine School District, was succeeded by a seasoned assistant principal, Brent “Mac” McConaghy, who left after only a year to return to Medford.
Subsequently, Dale Pedersen, a longtime school administrator, accepted the job as interim principal for the 2023-24 school years – and then was named CHS principal in 2024. However, Pedersen exited this spring after absences for health reasons.
Veteran Principal Greg English stepped in to fill those shoes for the rest of the academic year, but he was described as definitely a temporary replacement. Several teachers observed that English, who reportedly is well-liked, made it clear that he is ready for retirement.
The three candidates who are competing to become the CHS principal in 2025 all have local ties to the Willamette Valley. Rick Dormer, the principal of Ketchikan High School in Alaska, has a work history that includes time at Sweet Home, Corvallis, Aloha, and Southeastern Alaska. He’s a graduate of Oregon State University.
Dormer worked for nearly a decade as a teacher and more than 15 years as an administrator.
Dean Rech is an alum of Western Oregon University, who has coached football, basketball, and baseball. Rech has spent a dozen years in the classroom and 17 years as an administrator. An online search shows he’s served most recently as principal of Junior-Senior High School in the Central Linn School District in Halsey and at Sheridan High School.
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Justin Lieuallen, a former high school science teacher, is the manager of Special Education Behavior and social-emotional learning programs in the Jefferson County School District. He’s been in an administrative role for 22 years.
Conversations among the three candidates, who were stationed at different points in the multi-purpose room for the meet-and-greet, seemed to focus on how to meet the challenges of the coming school year: the financial strain, the high absentee rates.
Several parents observed these are problems common in other districts. However, one cluster of them stressed that communication – good, steady, friendly communication – is what they hope to see in a new principal.
Justine Netcher, who has younger children, said she was there to stay informed on who will be heading the high school, hopefully in years to come. As a graduate of Central High, she is a proud alumnus. “I would like my children to feel the same way, one day,” she said. ▪
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