Jason Ridgeway

for

Monmouth City Council

Keep Monmouth, Monmouth

Monmouth was settled in 1853 by pioneers from Monmouth, Illinois who moved west with the dream of founding a community that would later include a Christian college - Monmouth University. Five years later in 1858, the first schoolhouse was constructed for the university. Monmouth University was incorporated into the State system as a teacher training institution in 1882. Since then, Monmouth and present-day Western Oregon University have been linked in many ways.

Culturally, the permanent residents of Monmouth over several generations and the temporary student populations have drifted apart gradually. The values and norms between the two groups by and large have, in some ways, contradicted one another. One example is the historic "dry town" designation of Monmouth which lasted from the mid-1800's until the prohibition of alcohol sales was formally voted down in 2002. Monmouth has continued to grow more progressive in recent decades with input from academics who teach in the community and impart their ideology upon both students in the classrooms and in the public square. My question is, what is our city progressing toward?

Traditional values in the community seem to have shifted to a more new-age perspective from equality to equity, unity to division, self-reliance to increased dependency, morality to perversion, fairness to hypocrisy, and patriotism to subversion among others. Monmouth, like other communities, has a cultural identity crisis and must choose a sustainable path to promote positive values and rebuild positive relationships within the community.

All residents of Monmouth chose to live here for various reasons. Monmouth has a lot to offer without fundamentally changing the attributes that make it appealing. Monmouth is a small town which allows for more connection. It is affordable (relatively). It is made up of friendly people, and it is beautiful with a mix of attractive landscapes, a quaint downtown district and well-maintained properties. What I like most about Monmouth is what it isn't. It isn't like Salem or Albany or Corvallis. Monmouth is home. There is no need to change it into something else or bring in sweeping ideas from other communities. Join me in preserving and protecting this wonderful city and become an active part of the community. You may find even more reasons to enjoy living here!

Why I am Running

I have worked as a public servant in education and law enforcement for the past 16 years and believe the Council would benefit from a principled problem solver who respects the individual rights of all citizens. The City needs leadership in prioritizing its objectives to meet the needs of the entire community rather than small constituencies and in understanding the appropriate limits of city involvement. This will create pathways for more community involvement which is more efficient, rewarding and sustainable than many government solutions.

Solving Monmouth's Critical Issues

The City of Monmouth, like many governments, struggles with resisting the urge to grow beyond what is necessary and involve itself in too many causes that only benefit small constituencies rather than the whole of the city. The goal should be to create and maintain a safe, attractive and sustainable place to live while promoting individual liberty. The challenges are refining the focuses of the City, encouraging a robust business environment, appropriately planning for expenses and investments and engaging the community in the process. To do these things, the Council must reach out to community partners such as churches, non-profits, business owners and resident experts in various fields to increase community participation and reduce taxpayer burden in order to address challenges. The City’s job is to promote this process and clear obstacles for people to work together to solve problems within the community.

Uniquely Qualified

As a parole and probation officer, I have worked with many people who are resistant to changing their perspectives. Leadership involves using a consistent and gentle approach in conversation to refocus on truth and objectives. This means listening, but also holding fast to core principles such as respect and individual rights. I have learned how to respectfully meet others where they are at on a position, engage them in a constructive conversation and find common goals to achieve (win-win). This is far more effective than compromise (lose-lose) or outnumbering (win-lose).

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