Colm Wills

Housing Commissioner Willis has advocated to state and local leaders to end unregulated homeless campsites where criminal activity and unsafe conditions have resulted in the death of several homeless individuals in Marion County over the past year. He continues to promote a shared vision of compassionate and responsible public policy that treats homeless individuals with dignity, while at the same time, addressing the negative impact that unregulated homeless camping has on the broader community. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Commissioner Willis is committed to doing everything necessary to rebuild our communities and stand up for the people of the Santiam Canyon. Taxes / Budget Commissioner Willis believes we owe it to the taxpayers of Marion County to manage the county budget efficiently. We need to weed out duplication of services and continue to find and eliminate waste in county government. The taxes received by Marion County belong to the people of Marion County. Infrastructure / Transportation Commissioner Willis and the Board of Commissioners also approved a “safe routes to schools” program to improve kids ability to safely walk to school in East Salem and Stayton. Marion County is growing, and our roads, bridges, and sidewalks need to keep up with that growth. Commissioner Willis will continue do everything he can to ease congestion and keep residents safe in Marion County. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Commissioner Willis and the Board of Commissioners approved a plan to add fifty new jail beds to increase the capacity of our jail. Housing The Board of Commissioners has made this their top priority in setting up a new CDBG program to make home ownership available for working families in Marion County. This includes a down payment assistance program and incentives for developers to build owner occupied housing in Marion County. Commissioner Willis will continue to do everything in his power to keep the dream of home ownership alive in Marion County. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Increasingly issues of mental health and substance abuse in Marion County are putting strains on our public safety resources. We must continue to make sure our Sheriff’s office has enough staff, modern equipment and support to keep our neighborhoods safe.