John Day Mayor Ron Lundbom makes a point during the Oct. 11, 2022, session of John Day City Council. Lundbom is looking to fight off a challenge from City Councilor Heather Rookstool to remain mayor of John Day.

JOHN DAY — The John Day mayoral race is shaping up to be a battle of new blood versus the old guard as first term City Councilor Heather Rookstool looks to unseat longtime John Day Mayor Ron Lundbom.

Lundbom has been mayor of John Day for a decade and is leaning on his experience to guide him to victory. Rookstool is of the mindset that spending too long in one public position invites stagnation and that a fresh face with new ideas is what the city needs at this time.

Lundbom served on the John Day City Council from 1992 to 2000 before going on to become mayor in 2012. That wealth of experience is something he thinks gives him an advantage in his race against Rookstool.

“I think it does, not only in the experience in the functions of a mayor but in my experience in dealing with every one of the projects that are on the table,” Lundbom said. “All of those were done before her time, so I’ve got me and the rest of the council with some history in putting these projects together.”

Rookstool doesn’t see things that way. “First and foremost, I believe that in 20 years there are some times where you get stagnant in your position with any kind of a job or volunteer program,” she said. “Change is always a healthy thing if it’s at the right time and for the right reasons. I don’t believe 20 years of experience makes somebody more qualified than somebody else by any means.”

Rookstool also took Lundbom to task over his conduct toward members of the community during his time as mayor. “I also think that in 20 years you should have learned by this point how to respectfully handle hard situations and confrontation,” she said. “If you haven’t learned that in 20 years that is an issue for me…Just because you have 20 years experience doesn’t make you the right man for the job.”

Lundbom criticized Rookstool over her change of heart on the pool bond, explaining that she had signed a letter of support for the bond but later withdrew her support after being criticized at a John Day/Canyon City Parks and Recreation District meeting for alleging that the parks and rec board had held illegal meetings.

“She signed on to the bond,” Lundbom said. “She was for it until she embarrassed herself by saying at our council meeting that parks and rec didn’t follow meetings laws and when she got called out on it, she all of a sudden changed her opinion on the bond. She was against it and thought we could build a pool with the $2 million from the state, and we can’t. We can’t build a pool that the community wants for $2 million.”

Rookstool defended her stance on the pool bond, explaining that disparaging comments made about her at a parks and recreation meeting led to her digging into the specifics of the pool bond and finding that the city will need to take out an additional $1 million loan to bridge a funding gap in paying for the pool.

“When the community speaks, I have to listen to all of our community people and not just the half that everybody wants to listen to. … I absolutely want the pool still, but I still have people that I have to listen to and represent being on city council that aren’t getting their voices heard because the bond is going back out,” she said. “I’m also nervous, now the city is having to take out a million dollar loan that’s going to cost us $120,000 a year that John Day residents are going to have to pay for because $3 million isn’t enough.”

Rookstool added that the city needs to live within its means, and if it couldn’t pay the county $125,000 for policing, it shouldn’t be taking out a loan that costs $120,000 a year for the pool.

Another point of difference Rookstool and Londbom is over the large number of projects the city currently has lined up to be completed over the coming years. Lundbom stated that the reason why he ran for mayor in this cycle is to see those projects to completion, while Rookstool is open to scaling back some of the more ambitious projects if necessary in an effort to save money.

Those projects have the fingerprints of former City Manager Nick Green, a polarizing figure in local politics, all over them. Depending on which candidate you talk to, Green was either the best thing to happen to John Day in decades or a divisive figure who left the city with years of work to do in repairing relationships with the county, neighboring municipalities and the public at large.

Both candidates had differing views of where they expect the city of John Day to be five years from now. Lundbom highlighted the city’s ongoing projects and said he expects to see most of them — including the pool and wastewater treatment plant — through to completion while also mentioning the addition of more than 100 housing units through the urban renewal agency.

Rookstool said her vision is to see John Day’s relationships with the county as well as the communities of Canyon City, Mount Vernon and Prairie City repaired. Rookstool said she would also like to see the city manager and members of the John Day City Council take a more public approach to their offices and become the faces of the city, being present at community events with a willingness to talk to the general public and answer questions they might have.

While nobody expects the race to get downright nasty, the dynamic is a little unusual with both candidates having to work with one another regardless of the outcome of the November election. Rookstool will still serve on the city council if she were to lose the race to Lundbom. Lundbom would have to serve as mayor until the end of this year, when his term is over, in the event he loses. This circumstance would require him to work with Rookstool while she is a city councilor before she is sworn in as mayor.

AGE: 37

OCCUPATION: Special education instructional assistant at Grant Union Junior/Senior High School

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Grant School District SPED Department & DVA adviser, member Grant County Fair Board (four years), Canyon Creek community 4-H club leader (three years), teen advisory board for MFMC (four years), Humbolt PTA (nine years), My Future My Choice county coordinator (10 years)

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: Three essential tools for good government:

Transparency: As city government, we need to allow our communities to ask questions and do our best to get the answers in a timely manner. I will continue to seek the truth without being turned aside by criticism or intimidation.

Respect: Many adults have come out of the recent difficult years short-tempered, and this is understandable. However, if city representatives cannot be courteous and responsive to our citizens, then they have to change. As mayor, I will not tolerate verbal abuse or harassment of our citizens by city council or employees.

Restore sense of security: For the police, fire and streets. I will make it a priority to review safety issues and bring those to council for discussion as I have tried to do in the past. John Day city government will become responsive to the citizens. This is my word and goal!

AGE: 68

OCCUPATION: Retired after 45 years in retail sales

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: John Day City Council 1992-2000, John Day mayor 2012-2022, Grant County Airport Commission 2002-2018, ODOT Small City Allotment Committee 2018-2022, GUHS golf coach 2006-2022, GUHS Alumni Scholarship Committee 1995-2022

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: Top priorities

1. The wastewater treatment plant and its infrastructure: I plan on finishing it and the purple pipe distribution system. That will generate income in the sewer fund. Most all of this is grant-funded with no anticipated community funding needed.

2. Community policing: Work closer with the county court to come up with a countywide idea to police John Day and Grant County. It seems to be important to everyone, but nobody wants to pay for it.

3. Community involvement: Encourage people to become informed and figure out ways to reach them. Business owners’ roundtable and citizens at large being on some of our committees are ideas to engage more people.

4. Pool: The reasons to vote for and against the pool are important. I want everyone to ask questions, get the correct info and vote.