Stayton Mayor-elect Brian Quigley said he is determined to bridge gaps between City Hall and the local community when he takes office in January, building on gains recently made by the city manager’s office.
Currently a member of the Stayton City Council, Quigley received an overwhelming majority of votes during the Nov. 8 election. Updated results released Nov. 18 by the Marion County Clerk’s Office showed 2,212 votes for Quigley and 576 votes for opponent and Planning Commission Chair Ralph Lewis.
Quigley said he was “very shocked, and quite honestly honored” when he saw the measure of voter support.
“Hopefully, it’s a reflection of what I’ve done in the past on the council and that people have faith in my ability to make progress going forward,” he said.
Quigley also thanked Lewis for being willing to run and for his “fantastic” commitment to civic leadership. Lewis has been on the Planning Commission since 1998 and served on the City Council from 2015 to 2017.
“I know there’s another place where [Lewis] can continue his volunteer service and commitment to the community,” said Quigley.
Quigley said, when he takes office, he hopes to capitalize on growing confidence in City Hall brought about by City Manager Julia Hajduk. Quigley said, since Hajduk began in June, she has been deliberate about engaging community partners, and this has created a new optimism in Stayton.
“This election cycle, out of all of them, was the one where I felt an actual energy from the community that I didn’t see before,” he said. “…[Hajduk] has really been out there, really trying to improve the communication, the collaboration between the city and other entities – the chamber, the school district – and that’s encouraging for a lot of folks and hopefully it evolves into something bigger.”
Quigley said his goal is for city leaders to earn the trust of the community by really listening to concerns and maintaining transparency and open lines of communication, fulfilling a campaign promise to be a “forward-facing mayor.” Even with a head start, Quigley said community outreach and support will still require hard work, including cooperation and cohesion on the city council.
To help achieve this, Quigley said officials need to carefully consider how to fill his soon-to-be vacant council seat, which will become open when he is sworn in as mayor.
According to the city charter, the mayor has authority to fill a council vacancy, but Quigley said he will involve the council in the appointment process, and also will take into consideration candidates from the recent election.
As a current council member, Quigley said he expects a smooth transition into his role as mayor, in addition to being a longtime friend and colleague of current Mayor Hank Porter. Quigley was first elected to the council in 2010 while Porter was serving as a councilor, and Quigley continued when Porter was elected mayor in 2014.
Then, in 2019, Quigley stepped down abruptly due to health reasons and was not expecting to return to public office. But his recovery was better than expected and, when a council seat became vacant in 2021, Porter appointed him back to the council.
Quigley said he owes Porter a debt of gratitude for giving him another opportunity to serve in office, and said during their relationship he has come to view Porter as a mentor.
Quigley added he hopes the community responds with greater involvement in civil affairs. He said it is currently normal for few residents to attend council meetings, and said an increased level of participation will help strengthen ties between the city and community.
“That’s going to really make the community that much stronger,” he said.
