Mayor Stan on the Issues
Growth
A few years ago, as Oregon’s second fastest growing city, Sandy found itself at a crossroads. Change was coming, and making sure we preserve our city’s identity and culture had to be front-and-center.
We made sure we took on the challenges of this growth head on by launching a community engagement effort, Sandy Vision 2050. Through this process, every neighbor in Sandy will have an opportunity to have their voices heard. In fact, I appointed my biggest critic the committee.
We started by creating an Economic Development Committee with Sandy business leaders. We slashed red tape by removing System Development Charges for patio seating at local restaurants and burdensome parking requirements. We increased funding for the Tenant Improvement Program. And when COVID-19 threatened the livelihood of local Main Street business owners, we spearheaded a COVID-19 relief fund to provide aid to several local small businesses.
Public Safety
Shortly after being elected, I learned that our Sandy Police budget had been left with nearly a $1 million shortfall and was severely understaffed.
We not only filled that deficit, but provided our Sandy Police Department with increased funding with a stable funding source that will allow the department to grow along with our community and will pay huge dividends for the department in the years ahead.
Because of our investment in my first term, our local police force is now 100% fully staffed.
Unlike neighboring communities like Portland, we have actually outfitted our police officers with body and vehicle cameras. What others say they want to do we get done in Sandy.
Standing Up for Main Street
When I first ran for Mayor, I promised to stand up and fight for our local business owners. As Mayor I was stood up in opposition to Governor Brown’s crippling regulations that permanently closed many of our state’s cherished shops and restaurants, among others.
Infrastructure
When other small communities were stuck paying payroll taxes and receiving inadequate transportation services through Tri-Met, Sandy opted out and created our own world-class transit system, Sandy Area Metro (SAM).
We’ve implemented several measures here in Sandy to keep people moving.
The Sandy Way
We do things differently here in Sandy.
Even through times of crisis, we’ve found ways to get things done that help our working families without destroying our small businesses and standing by idly watching our community fall apart.
In a time when we are seeing poor results from our state, it's encouraging to reflect on what we have accomplished together on the local level.
Together, we’ve learned that there is more that unites us than that which divides us, and that there is no challenge too great for us to face as a community working together.
I hope that the Sandy Way, as we call it, becomes the norm, not the exception.