In the community, Local government

VOTE 2022: Nyssa council posts draw 7 candidates

NYSSA – Seven hopefuls are running for seats on the Nyssa City Council, including two incumbents. 

According to Gayle Trotter, the Malheur County county clerk, the three candidates with the most votes will serve a four-year term.  The fourth-place finisher will serve two years.

Among those seeking re-election is the current mayor, Betty Holcomb. 

The new council will select the next mayor in January.

Of the candidates, Morganne DeLeon, Ron Edmondson, Betty Holcomb, Jerry Holmes, Juan Ramos, Ron Shuster and Ralph Oliver, none responded to a written questionnaire from the Enterprise. Two candidates did provide interviews instead.

Juan Ramos

Ramos, a volunteer with the Nyssa Fire Department and a 12-year veteran with Treasure Valley Paramedic, said he jumped into the race at the suggestion of the city manager and the mayor of Nyssa. According to Ramos, both thought he would be a good fit given that he grew up in Nyssa and has long been involved in the goings on of the community. 

Ramos said he wants to see the relationship between the city and the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture improve. He said he had noticed the two entities don’t communicate as well as they could and wanted to help facilitate that dialogue should he get elected.

Ramos said he would like to see more projects get off the ground in Nyssa. He said there are not enough activities for kids in the area. Ramos, who raised his two daughters in Nyssa, said they would not have had anything to do while growing up had they not been into sports.  He said he wants to see more improvements made to the community, including a skate park. 

Ramos said another attribute is that he is bilingual and the Hispanic population would see him as someone they could communicate with. 

Ramos, a Nyssa native, said getting out and talking to people has been how he has been getting his message out to voters. 

Jerry Holmes 

A retired Air Force veteran, Holmes said he would like to see more help for businesses in Nyssa. Additionally, Holmes said he wants to see more help for residents, including children, seniors and veterans. For instance, he said the city should built a ramp on the shore of the Snake River. 

“If (veterans and seniors) tried to go down there right now with their wheelchairs to the Snake River,” Holmes said, “they would be in the Snake River.” 

Like Ramos, Holmes said he wants to see the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce and the city work together to improve the area for residents. 

Holmes said that his cousin owns one of the biggest restaurants in town, Bob’s Steak and Spirits, and talking to patrons there has been a great way to get his message out to the public. He also said that having a family name that goes back to the early 1900s in the area has also provided him with name recognition. 

“I’m going to be here fighting for the city of Nyssa,” Holmes said. 

Betty Holcomb

Holcomb declined an interview request with the Enterprise and is a former Nyssa City Council member and mayor. According to her candidate statement, Holcomb is a retired postal worker.

Ron Edmondson

According to a candidate statement on the Malheur County Clerk’s website, Edmondson is running for a second term. In addition to his time on Nyssa’s council, he spent eight years on Nyssa’s public library board. Edmondson is a retired miner, truck driver and heavy equipment operator. According to his candidate statement, Edmondson lists an associate degree in engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology. 

The Enterprise could not reach Oliver, Shuster and DeLeon for comment. 

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