Your name: Sheronne Blasi

Age: 46

Political party (if this is a partisan office): N/A

Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, political party if applicable): Salem City
Council Ward 2

Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: 14 years in Salem, 1 year in Ward 2. As a
temporary appointee on Salem City Council in 2012 I represented a portion of the SCAN neighborhood
which falls within both Wards 2 and 7. I purchased and lived in my first home in NE Salem. The Ward 2
City Councilor will represent all of these neighborhoods.

Are you a full-time resident of that area? Yes

City/town of residence: Salem, Oregon

Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown children): I
am single and have a son that turns 21 years old in May. He is a fulltime student in the Digital Arts
Program at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate degrees earned): A. Lincoln
High School; B.S., Sociology, University of Colorado; Masters of Public Administration, Portland State
University

If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties: Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division
(2001-Present) Performance Audit Manager auditing state agencies and programs for program
outcomes, efficiency and effectiveness. For example, I led the two performance audits of Willamette
ESD (WESD) and the capitol construction audit of the State Hospital. I have also conducted performance
audits of the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) and other large state funded programs.

Previous employers and when: United States Navy (1986-2000), Yeoman and Supply Corps Officer. I
received a commissioning through the Enlisted Commissioning Program.

Military service and when: United States Navy (1986-2000)

Volunteer/civic/religious service and when: Habitat for Humanity volunteer (1999-2000); Willamette
Humane Society volunteer (2010); Lydias Love board member and Chair (Salem non-profit) (2011-
present); Marion County Courthouse Square Citizens Task Force member (2011-2014)

Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: None


Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: None


Other prior political and government experience: Salem City Council Ward 7 (2012 appointed); Salem
Planning Commission (2013-present); Salem Budget Committee (2012 appointed); Salem Storm Water
Advisory Committee (2013-present); Salem Judicial Compensation Advisory Committee (2013-present);
Salem Economic Opportunity and Housing Needs Analysis Committee, Vice Chair (2014-present)

How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be made public):

Mail address:
Sheronne Blasi
P.O. Box 424
Salem, OR 97308

E-mail address: SheronneBlasi@gmail.com

Web site URL:
www.ElectSheronneBlasi.com

Phone: (503) 428-2187

Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.

1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent? What is it like
geographically, economically, politically and socially?

Salems Ward 2 is geographically, economically and socially very diverse. The geographic area runs from
a dense commercial area, through single and multi-family residential areas, and past the airport. The
neighborhoods are a wonderful mixture of small and larger homes, and reflect a diversity in income
levels. While canvassing I have found there are a wide range of political viewpoints ranging from very
conservative to very progressive. I have had some wonderful conversations about many things that are
important to my neighbors, from the idea of a third bridge to the quality of our schools. As diverse as
Ward 2 is, I have found residents are agreed that Salem is a great place to live and we need to continue
to work hard for the things we value.

2. When did you decide to run for this office, and why?

I decided to run for office immediately after serving as a temporary appointee to Council in 2012, and I
moved in early 2013 so I could do so. I am running because we need to have strong leadership that
recognizes the importance of making decisions that have long-term, positive impacts. And these
decisions should foster economic opportunity, support businesses and create a more livable and
sustainable community. I feel I have the experience and the vision to keep Salem moving forward.

3. How much will your primary campaign cost (please be specific)?

Approximately $9,500 for voters pamphlet fee, registered voters walking list, business cards,
consultants fees, photography fees, remittance envelopes, printing and mailing, lawn signs and door
hangers.

4. Who are your key endorsements from within the Mid-Valley?
Salem Professional Firefighters (Local 314)
Salem Area Chamber of Commerce
Salem Create Jobs PAC
Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV)
Home Builders Association of Marion and Polk Counties
Salem Area Realtors (SAR)
Chuck Bennett, President, Salem City Council
Laura Tesler, Salem City Council Ward 2
Diana Dickey, Salem City Council
Warren Bednarz, Salem City Council
Dan Clem, Salem City Council
Rich Fry, President, Salem Planning Commission
David Fox, Salem Planning Commission
Jim Lewis, Salem Planning Commission

5. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No.

6. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or been
sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No.

7. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific.

I have considerable more proven experience than my two opponents, having served on Council as an
appointee in 2012 and now on the Planning Commission and other committees for the City. I have been
described by our current Ward 2 City Councilor as being fair, balanced, independent, and an excellent
critical thinker with a firm grasp of what it takes to represent Ward 2. I have developed strong working
relationships with diverse community partners and the individuals they represent and have shown I can
work collaboratively to effect positive change.

8. Describe your philosophy of governance:

We govern on behalf of those that elect us to represent them. We speak and vote on their behalf but we
can only do so when we are informed of their values and where they see Salem in the future. City
Councilors need to actively engage the public they represent. As elected or appointed officials we also
have to be willing to step up and make the tough decisions when needed. I feel as though many of us
have a shared vision for Salem but it takes strong leaders, participatory citizens and community partners
to make that vision a reality.

9. Give an example of a political mistake you made and what you learned from it:

While serving on City Council in 2012 as a temporary appointee I did not do enough active listening to
my neighbors. I attended each of the five neighborhood association meetings but I mainly dispensed
information about council meetings and upcoming agenda items, and did not ask often enough for input
about upcoming issues or priorities. I now know citizens want to be actively engaged throughout the
process and provide input into the things that will impact their lives. I have worked hard since then to
actively engage community partners and stakeholders, and to listen to their concerns and priorities.

10. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more open and transparent?

Citizens need to be engaged earlier on in decision making and issues facing Salem need to be discussed
more openly. We need to create mechanisms to engage citizens earlier in the process. Currently, people
feel as though they are informed of decisions that have already been made, such as the Civic Center &
Police facility upgrades, and they are not part of the process. The City should consider investing in a
trained communications specialist who will use best practices such as social media to more actively
engage citizens and community partners. And as the Statesman pointed out, Council agenda items could
be more clearly defined, and the Consent Calendar items could be discussed instead of being passed
without a reading.

11. What specific steps would you advocate to make government more fiscally effective?

As a performance auditor of large state programs and agencies I start by looking at solid criteria and
best practices for achieving outcomes and then measure against those. If citizens prioritize things such
as reopening fire stations or maintaining streets we need to compare costs to outputs and outcomes,
and determine where our scarce resources are best utilized. I am known for asking City staff a lot of
questions trying to get at intended outcomes. I would also advocate for a LEAN process review of some
of the Citys processes, such as the various permitting and inspections, to ensure they are operating
efficiently and effectively as possible.

12. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words for
each issue)

A. Accountable, efficient and effective leadership City Council needs to be accountable to the public
for which they represent. As a Councilor I would work to ensure fiscal accountability through open
and transparent spending and other decision making. As a Performance Auditor for the state I
spend each day examining whether state programs use scarce resources efficiently and effectively,
and that is the type of outcome-based decision making I previously used, and would continue use as
a City Councilor.

B. Improving communications with stakeholders Whether the issue is seismic upgrades, a new police
station or a third bridge, we need to have open and respectful communication with all stakeholders
including the public. The public needs to be engaged earlier in the decision making process so that
taxpayer input is considered from the start, versus informing the public of decisions after they have
been made. I have a proven track record of engaging stakeholders and community partners and will
work to ensure everyones voice is heard.

C. Creating a more livable and sustainable Salem City Council should be made up of strong leaders
that recognize the importance of making decisions that have long-term, positive impacts. I will
continue to work to encourage decisions which foster improved economic opportunities, promote
business, and increase the livability and sustainability of Salem. We have made a lot of progress
creating the community we can be proud of but more work remains and we need to elect leaders
that are willing to take calculated risks and continue to make things happen. I am also committed to
protecting our natural resources as we move forward.

13. What do you see as other important issues?

I believe it is time for the City to become more actively engaged with community partners to begin
addressing the social challenges that face us such as homelessness, high school dropout rates, the needs
of returning veterans. We could better position ourselves to help facilitate the discussions and proactive
approaches to these issues. As the Chair of a non-profit organization that throws birthday parties for
children in some of Salems homeless shelters I know that it takes an entire community working
together to address our challenges and help ensure that all of our children have opportunities to be
successful.

14. What magazines, newspapers and Web publications do you regularly read to keep up on the news,
especially on issues related to the office you are seeking?

I regularly read the Statesman Journal, the Oregonian, the Bend Bulletin, Salem Weekly, Governing
Magazine, and Capitol Clips. I also follow the City on its various websites and Facebook posts (although
there should be more), committee minutes and upcoming meeting agendas. The City committees I serve
on also keep me informed (e.g. Planning Commission, Storm Water Development Code Advisory
Committee, Economic Opportunity & Housing Needs Analysis Committee, and Judicial Compensation
Committee, as do my ongoing conversations with current City Councilors.

15. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to disclose
before it comes up in the campaign?
None.

16. If you are running for a governing board in Oregon (such as city council, county board of
commissioners or the Legislature), how many meetings of that board have you attended in person
during 2013 and 2014? How many have you watched online or on TV, if applicable?

I started attending City Council meetings in 2012 when I was appointed and attended every meeting
except one when I was away for work. In 2013 I was appointed to the Planning Commission and several
other City of Salem Committees and began watching City Council on CCTV. Since filing to run for City
Council in late 2013 I have attended most Council meetings in person, and those I was not able to attend
due to other committee commitments I have watched later on CCTV. I also stay informed of City issues
through the various City committees I serve on listed above.

Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to
Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16.