Our Newberg neighbors are tired.
Tired of the partisan bickering, for sure, but also weary of an affordability crisis that has beset our hometown. Water bills are too high, and the lack of jobs that pay a sustainable wage means that too many people are struggling to make ends meet. We’re also tired of feeling like our voices don’t matter at city hall, and that our local government isn’t always listening to our concerns.
That’s why Newberg Neighbors for a Better Community was excited to hear that Elise Yarnell Hollaman is running for Newberg mayor, and will take on incumbent Bill Rothsaker in November’s election. Elise has served on the Newberg City Council since 2018, understands our community well, and will work hard to assure that Newberg truly is a great place for everyone to thrive.
Her campaign is focused on the idea of “We, Not Me,” a promise that intends to end partisanship in city hall. By promoting collaboration, Elise will also assure that everyone in Newberg has a seat at the decision-making table, even if they don’t always agree on the decisions being made. This is truly what leadership is about: drawing together different stakeholders and allowing them to be heard, as well as embracing difference as a strength that will lead to better decisions for all.
Elise’s promises are grounded in several specific efforts that will move Newberg forward:
Lowering Water Bills: Newberg households have some of the highest water bills state wide, and paying so much for water can be crushing for many families. Newberg families need more than incremental reductions in their water bills.
We need to pursue structural changes that can actually bring costs down.
As mayor, Elise will initiate conversations with Dundee and Dayton about creating a regional approach to water infrastructure, including exploring a regional water district and shared treatment infrastructure.
Working regionally could allow our communities to pursue state and federal infrastructure funding together, share major capital costs, and strengthen our competitiveness for limited infrastructure dollars.
Her goal is simple: pursue every viable option capable of meaningfully lowering the cost of water for Newberg families.
Bring back jobs: Newberg cannot afford to keep watching employers and living-wage jobs leave our community. For years, the city government talked about economic development while major employment properties have remained difficult to develop.
It’s time to move from talking about jobs to preparing land for them.
Available urban renewal resources are tools that can be prioritized in a way to support job growth. Elise will push to remove infrastructure and predevelopment barriers that are preventing key employment land—including the former mill property by the river—from becoming development-ready.
Then she will lead an initiative to recruit manufacturing, technology, and trade-sector businesses to create careers here, in Newberg, allowing people to raise their families and build a future here.
Her goal is simple: Elise will do everything to prepare land, compete for employers, and bring living-wage jobs back to Newberg.
Listen to Everyone: Newberg has spent too much time fighting national culture wars at the local level while the work directly affecting people’s daily lives waits for our attention.
We can all agree that it’s time for our local government to solve problems, not pick sides.
Disagreements are a gift, and can make the government better when leaders are willing to listen and learn from each other–and from the constituents they serve. Collaboration isn’t a dirty word, but an opportunity to recognize that no political party, ideology, neighborhood, or individual has a monopoly on good ideas–and then work together to improve the lives of everyone
As mayor, Elise promises to protect space for disagreement, expect respectful leadership from the Council, and make sure people know they can participate in their city government regardless of their politics.
Her goal is simple: Elise will focus on common ground between different stakeholders, because common ground is common sense, and local leadership works best when everyone is invited to the decision-making table.
Over the next few months, Newberg Neighbors will be working hard to help elect Elise, because we love our community and want it to thrive, and because we believe Elise offers the best opportunity to move Newberg forward. We hope you’ll join us in these efforts. Stay tuned for specific ways you can help make Newberg a better community.
Newberg Neighbors for a Better Community 
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