WARRENTON — In November, residents will vote on candidates in three contested City Commission races, including two commissioners seeking reelection and a newly-appointed commissioner facing voters for the first time.

Position 1

In Position 1, City Commissioner Gerald Poe will face Brandon T. Williams, who has worked in construction, in a rematch from the 2020 election.

Poe, a merchant sailor for Washington State Ferries with a background in commercial fishing and forestry, has lived in Warrenton for 30 years. He initially got involved in local government on the city’s urban renewal board and has also served on the city’s budget committee.

When the opportunity arose to run for City Commission in 2020, Poe saw it as an opportunity to continue his involvement.

“I’m just interested in seeing good growth and just a safe place for families and a welcoming place for businesses, and I think being involved in the commission helps me to promote that,” said Poe, who has raised both of his children in Warrenton.

On the urban renewal board, Poe said he helped advance projects like creating a new commercial dock and marina buildings at the Warrenton harbor. As a commissioner, he sees more opportunities for that type of progress through projects like a Hammond urban renewal district. He’s also been involved with projects like the beautification of City Hall and the city’s facade program — an effort to upgrade business fronts on Main Avenue.

Poe said one of his main priorities is to support small businesses and make it easier for people to build in Warrenton. To him, those issues tie in with his goals of increasing safety and livability, two priorities he’s heard from constituents.

“I hear a lot of people talking about that it’s hard to build in Warrenton, and that for homeowners, for builders, for developers, there’s a lot they’re really struggling with,” Poe said. “I want to continue to work towards trying to make that easier so that it is an attractive place for businesses, for homebuilders, for do-it-yourselfers.”

Williams, who has a background in residential and commercial construction and fire and emergency medical services, ran unsuccessfully against Poe in 2020. He has previously served as the chair of the Warrenton Fire Department safety committee and as the vice chair and secretary of the Clatsop County Republican Party.

Williams has lived in Warrenton for the majority of his life and sees a spot on the City Commission as an opportunity to serve the community.

“I value attentiveness to achieve effective communication, informed decision making, & community involvement. I am a team player, achiever, and leader,” Williams told The Astorian in a written statement. “I am a successful business owner and know how to reach comprehensive solutions.”

Williams listed housing, infrastructure and public safety as a few of his top priorities, adding that he’s ready to serve his fellow Warrentonians.

Williams has past domestic violence-related convictions for menacing, incidents he now refers to as a “selfish moment in judgment.” He said it saddens and frustrates him that even after paying deterrence, some use the convictions as ammunition against him.

“My point is WE as HUMANS grow and reform,” Williams wrote. “We learn to BE BETTER!”

Position 2

In Position 2, City Commissioner Jess Sollaccio faces Darlene Warren, an insurance agent.

Sollaccio, the association executive for the Clatsop Association of Realtors, will seek election for the first time after being appointed to the commission earlier this year. She brings a range of experience working in health policy. To her, creating a greater sense of community in Warrenton is key.

After moving to Warrenton with her family three years ago, Sollaccio joined the Warrenton Planning Commission. She also joined the Clatsop County Master Gardener Association and helped create a perinatal task force with the county Community Health Advocacy and Resource Team.

As a mother of young children, she said she’s passionate about increasing access to support and resources for other women and families. Recently, she was involved in putting on a community baby shower for new and expectant mothers.

“It’s so important to have places where people can gather and learn and just meet other people that are experiencing the same challenges, to help during such a vulnerable time,” Sollaccio said. “We know that young families are really struggling with the burdens of life right now. And if we can lift those boats, I think our community will be a lot stronger.”

Sollaccio has also worked with her husband to renovate the Fenton Building downtown, where plans for a new community space are coming together. The hope is to bring vibrancy, jobs and housing to the community.

Looking ahead, Sollaccio said she hopes to work with the City Commission to advance economic development opportunities like the Hammond urban renewal district. She also wants to bring more voices to City Commission meetings and community boards and create more of a two-way street in communication between the city and the public.

“I hope that by me sitting up there, other women, other people with small children, other Latina people will see, ‘Oh, there’s someone on there that that looks like me, that sounds like me,’” Sollaccio said. “I think a lot of times, regular people like me struggle with, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything. I shouldn’t be there,’ or like, ‘I wouldn’t do a good job of doing that.’ But we live in a democracy, and we need people’s voices at the table, and I want to show other people, ‘Hey, the door is open, and I want you to come and I want you to be part of this conversation.’”

Warren, who has lived in Warrenton for nearly 30 years and raised her children in the city, said she feels she brings a unique perspective, too.

As a small-business owner, Warren said she’s seen the challenges of building in the city firsthand. She wants to be a voice for builders and small-business owners and find ways to make that process easier. Having served on the Warrenton-Hammond School District Board for 15 years, she also wants to strengthen the City Commission’s connection with local schools.

“There really should be a support system with our local schools, and I’d like to continue that,” Warren said. “I think that’s very important to have that relationship.”

Warren has been active in the community as a track-and-field coach at Warrenton High School and as a member of Kiwanis, Rotary and the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce. She also helped establish a warming center for the city’s homeless population.

She believes that involvement, in addition to her connections on the school board and as an insurance agent, make her an accessible candidate.

“I see a lot of people every day who come in here and we get to share and talk, just in the nature of my business, and I’m that kind of person,” Warren said. “I’m not to just be up here on this chair dictating how this town is to be run. You know, the people have a voice, and we need to be attuned to their voice.”

Position 3

In Position 3, longtime City Commissioner Tom Dyer is facing a challenge from Melissa Cochran-Spivey.

Dyer has lived in Warrenton for most of his life, and his family has been in the area since the 1800s. He served with the Oregon State Police for 32 years before retiring and later becoming a city commissioner, a position he’s held since being elected in 2012.

He sees the city commissioner’s role as a public service.

“You’re commissioner for all the people, not just some of the people, so you might have people that totally disagree with your point of view, but you’re still serving them because you got voted in,” Dyer said.

Part of his goal is to help the city with long-term planning through projects like infrastructure maintenance.

“If you don’t keep the infrastructure up, the bill is going to come,” Dyer said. “So you’ve got to do enough each year to maintain it so you don’t get hit, you know, 10 years or 20 years from now, with something that’s going to be catastrophic for the city.”

Other goals include working to finish the Hammond water line and working to address traffic and livability concerns as more housing developments come to Warrenton. Dyer added that, although change often comes slowly in local government, he wants to find ways to bring more people into the conversation to provide feedback.

“Sometimes the best ideas come from people that you least expect and if you don’t listen, you’ll miss some of those things,” he said.

Cochran-Spivey, who has lived in Warrenton her whole life, does administrative work at a chiropractic office and also works as a licensed massage therapist. She also brings a background in the vacation rental industry, doing everything from housekeeping and maintenance all the way up to bookkeeping and office management.

“I’m running for Warrenton City Commission because I would like to be more involved in the operational side of our community,” Cochran-Spivey told The Astorian in a written statement. “I feel like our community’s path and development have become somewhat stagnant and need some fresh perspectives and motivation.”

Cochran-Spivey said she brings strengths in seeing and understanding all sides of an issue and coming to fair compromises. She said one priority is to support lower-income people and small businesses.

“There have been several small businesses that have been humming along for years, providing services to our community, that have recently been wiped out by the City’s overzealous drive for money,” Cochran-Spivey wrote. “Our community needs to hold space for small businesses, help build them up — not force them out.”