A current member of the city of Banks Planning Commission, Debra L. Berry, 69, is running against incumbent Marilyn McCalister for Position 6 on the Banks City Council.
A Banks resident since 2015, Berry, who retired after working for the Forest Grove School District, says her time on the planning commission has led her to want to do more for Banks.
“I have learned a great deal about the growth to come to our little town. I want to be part of its growth and planning for the future of my town,” she said in an email to the Banks Post.
Berry said responsible growth and planning were among her top priorities if elected to the four-year term.
“I know and understand that Banks needs to grow,” Berry said. “I want [the city] to handle it in a slow, responsible manner,” she added.
Berry is running a small campaign, with no staff or PAC involved.
“Banks is a small town, so why would someone try and play like the big guys,” she said.
Citing her many different jobs in the past —Berry’s campaign filing form listed work in bookkeeping, property management, customer service and more — as a boon to her understanding of the city, Berry also noted her work on the family farm and as a business manager as preparing her for a role on the city council.
“It’s the next step to help my city,” she said.

Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.