The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Three-term city council member, Debra Callahan is running for mayor and says she hopes to have the opportunity to take Waitsburg's many great resources and make them even better.

The 36-year Waitsburg resident raised her children, grandchildren, and foster children here while working actively in the community. Callahan belongs to Commercial Club and the Historical Society, served on the Waitsburg School Board and the Touchet Valley Arts Council, and is a volunteer administrative assistant for the fire department.

She has supported local youth as a classroom volunteer, and as a leader for Campfire, Bluebirds, Boy Scouts, and 4-H. Callahan said she has taught classes on entrepreneurship and is a firm believer in free enterprise.

"As mayor, I'd like to build on the beautiful town and great resources we already have. We have an amazing staff in Randy (Hinchliffe) and Kelly (Steinhoff) and the city looks the best it has looked in ages because of the public works crew. We already have a great foundation to build on," she said.

Callahan said her priorities are getting the new bridge constructed to beautify downtown, bringing in a bike trail to bring people to town, and moving forward with plans for fairgrounds revitalization.

"I would like to find grant funding to honor the history of the fairgrounds with a bronze statue of a jockey and a horse," she said.

Callahan says Waitsburg faces the same problems faced by many small towns, but has resources that most don't.

"Our staff, park, swimming pool, and fairgrounds are things that we have taken for granted and people are now starting to see them as very valuable resources. I want to help maintain and build them into something even better," she said.

"I want people to know that I'm willing to go the extra mile, do the research, investigate issues, educate myself, and bring back facts so that I can educate the council and community; so that together we can continue to build a strong community and promote Waitsburg throughout the state," Callahan said.