A ballot box in front of the Banks Public Library. Photo: Chas Hundley
BANKS – For readers in much of this newspaper’s coverage area, the special districts election on Tuesday, May 21 will hold few surprises. With the exception of one Banks School Board position and a choice to renew a levy for Banks Fire District #13, every other race has but a single choice, barring any write-in campaigns.
In Mountaindale, certain areas Northeast of Banks and portions of the Roy community, which are covered by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, the race becomes more tangled, with two seats up for reelection, with both incumbents facing challengers who have or are currently serving on other fire boards.
More information on the Roy and Mountaindale races, click here.
Candidates for Banks Fire District include Matt Vandehey, position 2, Mark Schmidlin, position 4, and Ed Ewing, position 5.
The Banks School Board race has two seats on the ballot this year; Dan Streblow is running uncontested for position 3, while incumbent James Harris must fend off challenger Will Moore—who held two terms as a Banks school board director from 2006 through 2013—if he wishes to retain his seat.
Banks Fire District #13 voters will also be asked to vote on measure 34-287, a measure to renew a local option levy to maintain fire and emergency medical services.
The deadline to register to vote is April 30 and can be done online or by mailing this form to Washington County Elections, 3700 SW Murray Blvd, Ste 101, Beaverton OR 97005.
The Banks Post will be covering each race and ballot measure in detail; if you haven’t already, subscribe to the Banks Post to have our interviews with candidates and analysis of ballot measures sent to your email inbox.
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.
