Banks, City Council, Elections

City Council Position 2 race has one candidate, Jeff Thompson

Jeff Thompson, courtesy Jeff Thompson

BANKS – With the filing deadline closed for the local city election in Banks, Jeff Thompson, 41, is running unopposed to replace current position 2 city counselor Michael Nelson. 

Thompson and his wife and family moved to Banks in 2012, Thompson said during an interview with the Banks Post. 

He has three teenage children; this fall, Thompson will have a senior, junior and a middle school aged student in his home. 

“To be honest, it was just one of those things where I saw that it was open and I thought it was a chance for me to actually serve my community,” Thompson said when asked why he wanted to run for office. 

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As to his priorities if elected to the council, Thompson had several.

“It’s really important for me for Americans with disabilities having accessibility,” Thompson said, noting that it was a category he falls into. 

Thompson said he has a condition called Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency disorder, an inherited disorder that can cause lung disease and liver disease, according to the U.S. National Library of medicine. 

For Thompson, the condition has led to liver issues and fibromyalgia, and on top of that, a past workplace injury led to a damaged lower back, which worsened his other conditions due to his limited mobility. 

Thompson now works as a security officer for Clackamas-County based Acree Enterprises LLC.

“I want to be able to help the kids, and make sure that any growth out here is actually the right growth for Banks and that things are done well,” he added. 

Thompson’s campaign activities will be fairly limited, he said, especially in light of a lack of any opposition. And while this campaign will be his first major foray into local politics, he’s had some experience with the concept at Portland Community College, where he said he was involved in student politics while earning his GED, a feat he accomplished as an adult in 2012 or 2013. 

Another thing that Thompson would like to work on is better access to the internet for the area, especially in light of an uptick in the necessity of solid internet connections as school looms with an online focus and adults are forced, in many cases, to work from home . He floated the idea of mobilizing the community and the city to send letters to local Internet Service providers.

And he spoke about the things that make Banks the town it is – the small businesses, the town center, the Banks-Vernonia trail and those who use it, the farming community, and a neighborly culture.

“It’s a really tight-knit community that tends to look out for each other,” he said

The general election will be held November 3, with ballots mailed to residents in mid-October.

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