There are plenty of important seats up for grabs in the city council. Let's get some YIMBYs elected here in Bend!
Explanations for endorsements are below.
Norris is a two-year incumbent having been appointed to Council in 2022. She works in the housing production industry, which gives her some good insights, but has been quick to do the right thing and recuse herself on matters that involve her employer. She has a great working knowledge of the challenges faced by both the City and the industry in changing our system to encourage the building of needed housing. She has been a critical supporter of some of the recent, politically hot button, tax votes and based on her performance at the candidate debate has a good grasp of some of the specific issues the Council is considering for the coming two years.
We endorse her candidacy as she too has shown a solid understanding of the technical issues facing the city in its quest to build more housing. We love the idea of re-legalizing “complete neighborhoods”. Franzosa has experience in small-scale housing development as well as engineering and we feel she will be a worthy replacement to Broadman on the Council.
Perkins was elected to the Council in 2020 and soon thereafter volunteered to be the point person for the Council’s work on homelessness. It is a very difficult problem with no easy, short-term answers, and thus a challenging job, and risky politically. And yet she has persevered. Like the Mayor and Broadman, she has a great understanding of the wonky details behind tax and code issues and has proven to be a tireless voice for those without stable housing. She deserves to be re-elected to another term.
Platt brings a broad understanding of the issues and a critical thinking approach to finding solutions that reflect his experience as a high school teacher and Air Force fighter pilot veteran. He also has budget management experience both at the federal level and serving here on the City’s budget committee—a vital asset worth having on the Council. His answers to our questionnaire, his willingness to meet with our group and learn what we advocate for, as well as his forum performance showed he has not only the energy to dive into the issues but also the foundation to make well-informed policy decisions.
