City of Astoria Councilor Ward 2
The members of a City Council supervise the city departments, either directly or through a city manager or administrator. City Councilors pass laws, set policy, decide which services will be provided, and develop budgets; they negotiate work contracts and make hiring and firing decisions. A city officer must be a qualified elector under the state constitution who has resided in the city before being elected for a period of time that is specified in the city charter.Astoria City Councilors are elected by districts known as wards. They serve for a 4-year term (unless they are filling out a partial term) and are elected on a nonpartisan basis. In most cities, the City Councilors are unpaid.
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Andrea Mazzarella
(N)
What are the city’s most urgent needs, and how would you address them?
What aspects of the duties of a City Councilor most interest you, and why?
What are the infrastructure needs of the city, and how would you finance the most critical ones?
Town Where You Live
Astoria
Your Experience/Qualifications
Government and Non-Profit Board Experience: City of Astoria Budget Committee 2018-Present; Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan Review Committee 2019-2021; Clatsop Community College Board of Directors 2018-2020; Astoria Housing Alliance, Board of Directors 2023-Present; Lower Columbia Q Center, Board Treasurer 2023-Present; Art Room Astoria, Board President 2021-Present; Astoria Arts and Movement Center, Board President 2017-2021.
County
Clatsop
Term Expires
Jan 2028
Astoria was recently listed as the 10th most expensive city of its size in the United States. Housing for our workforce is the most urgent need. Without access to affordable housing, we'll continue to lose the ability to staff local businesses, schools and hospitals. Addressing the housing issue will be complex and challenging. Astoria has a very limited stock of buildable land and the cost of new development prohibits most developers from offering their homes at an affordable rate. I'm interested to learn more about options like a city owned Land Trust and incentives for landlords who offer affordable rentals for starters.
I really enjoy efficient systems. I'm particularly interested in code revision. Astoria's City Charter has not been revised since the 1990s and there are some policies and procedures that I think could easily be updated to allow for more efficient and effective work by the council. The Development Code leaves a lot to be interpreted, often leading to long application and review processes for permits that cause delays in home repair and new development. Creating code revisions that will offer clear and objective guidelines will allow City staff to more quickly analyze and process applications.
Our Public Works Department has been woefully underfunded for decades, in my opinion. Our wastewater system and water lines are in serious need of upgrades. I am not in favor of adding additional surcharges to our resident's utility bills, so finding the funding for the necessary repairs and upgrades will be an interesting challenge. I would look to the State for support, as well as grant programs that may exist for this type of infrastructure.
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