Promises, promises, promises. Voters heard a lot of those during the recent election season. There were promises for change, promises to create more jobs, and promises to reduce government spending and taxes, solve the budget crisis, and find a remedy for the health care situation. "We are going to represent the people we've been elected to serve," they have all said in one form or another.
Ballots are being counted in the Nov. 2 General Election
"A difficult budget for difficult times" was the topic as a revised version of the 2011 document was presented during a Camas City Council workshop. "Difficult" may be an understatement as city leaders scrambled after learning in late September that the city's assessed value -- and in turn its property tax revenues -- would very likely take a nosedive next year, The unexpected hole is an estimated $1.6 million.
Applications are currently being accepted to fill the remainder of a term on the Camas City Council that will be vacant beginning Jan. 1, 2011. Longtime Ward 1 councilwoman Helen Gerde announced her resignation during the Oct. 4 council workshop. She plans to serve through the end of 2010, although her term officially ends Dec. 31, 2011.
The impacts of a $1.6 million budget hole were revealed during last night's council workshop, and the picture painted wasn't pretty. The cuts that will likely be made by the city are ones that will be felt and seen by citizens in a variety of ways. With cuts adding up to $800,000, levels of service that Camas residents have come to expect in recent years will certainly diminish -- even as many city employees, from library pages to firefighters, police officers and parks maintenance workers will be working harder to serve the public.
Election endorsements
A longtime and well-known local resident who once said community service was "in her genes" died at home in Camas early Saturday morning. Judy Zimmerman, an accomplished musician and international traveler who with her husband Hal was publisher of the Camas-Washougal Post-Record for 23 years, was 84 years old at the time of her death.
A Camas man has been reported missing after leaving for a camping trip on Friday, Oct. 8.
True acts of selfless generosity are difficult to find. These are the kinds of acts that involve giving without getting -- expecting not even so much as a thank you in return. This kind of philanthropy was demonstrated on Friday, when it was announced that a local couple through their estate had left the Humane Society of Southwest Washington a $100,000 gift.
A handful of events will offer local residents the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates running for political offices including those in Clark County, the Third Congressional District, and the 18th and 15th legislative districts.
heather.acheson@camaspostrecord.com
