Vanessa Nordyke on Salem's Mayoral Race: Homelessness, Public Safety & Downtown Revival

Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem!

In this episode, host Jacob Espinoza sits down with Salem City Councilor and mayoral candidate Vanessa Nordyke to discuss her campaign for mayor and vision for Salem's future.

Topics include:

• Why Nordyke is running for mayor after nearly six years on the city council
• Salem's three-pronged approach to downtown challenges: safety, health, and cleanliness
• The community health response model to address mental health and addiction crises
• Affordable housing progress and the Salem Housing Authority's expanded services
• North Salem's concerns and the need for equitable attention across all neighborhoods
• Her independent voting record and decision-making process (including the payroll tax vote)
• Funding strategies: paid parking revenue, EMS services, and legislative support
• Downtown revitalization efforts and support for local businesses
• Making Salem more fun through community events and reducing barriers to permits
• Transparency in government and connecting with younger voters through social media

Nordyke also discusses her collaborative approach to governance, the importance of listening to diverse constituents, and her commitment to addressing Salem's affordability crisis while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Timestamps:

00:02 - Introduction and Vanessa's endorsement of the "premiere podcast in Salem"

01:26 - Why Vanessa is running for mayor

07:09 - Salem's role in addressing homelessness and mental health crises

10:06 - Balancing business community needs with support for vulnerable populations

13:12 - Working with Julie Hoy and navigating council dynamics

15:54 - The mayor's role vs. city councilor responsibilities

19:14 - Being the "wild card" voter and making independent decisions

25:06 - Salem's affordability crisis and the payroll tax vote

30:31 - Downtown Salem: reality check between extremes

33:00 - Funding downtown improvements: paid parking and EMS revenue

37:23 - Supporting the Capitol and recruitment challenges for police

38:42 - Making Salem the "funnest part of Oregon"