Tom Vialpando sometimes seems everywhere.
The retiring mayor of Vale took office four years ago, determining to put the city on the map and to seek out residents for chats.
He leaves office after one term, forgoing a bid for reelection because he expects to move out of the city and won’t be eligible. Alex Hartwell will be sworn in as mayor on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
He came to Vale in 2018 from Port Orchard, Wash., and two years later took on incumbent Mayor Mike McLaughlin. Vialpando won the race by 17 votes out of 733 cast.
As mayor and a resident, Vialpando was high profile. He walked copies of the city’s newsletter door-to-door in Vale’s business district. He joined and was active in Kiwanis. He helped revitalize the Vale Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s all about networking,” said Vialpando, who had never before held public office.
The role of mayor is unpaid.
He said he learned that knowing people in various government agencies and public offices helped open the way for getting help for Vale.
He deliberately spent time volunteering as part of the League of Oregon Cities and its association of mayors.
“I did that to make sure we put Vale on the map,” Vialpando said.
He gave a farewell address on Dec. 10 at the Vale City Council’s last meeting of the year.
“Public service is a noble calling, one that requires dedication, compassion and a deep commitment to the well-being of our community,” he said. “One of the most important lessons I learned is that the strength of small city like Vale lies in its ability to stay true to its roots while embracing targeted growth.”
He said the community’s safety was priority during his term. Now, Vale has a new fire engine, a new medic rig and two new police cars.
“You can’t be the one being rescued,” Vialpando said. “I can’t expect our people to perform well if we don’t have adequate equipment.”
He said the city now is more aggressive about pursuing grants. That landed money, for instance, to help improve the local airport. Vialpando said Miller Memorial Airpark has opportunity to bring in even more private flights as Boise-area airports become more congested.
Vialpando has also urged more growth for the city – but in a restrained way.
“We’re still a small enough city to be considered a community,” he said.
He noted signs of that growth, including new homes – up to 11 now – at the long-stalled Cottonwood Subdivision and the addition of the Vale Valley RV Park on the west side of town.
Vialpando said he’s seen a shift in business development in Vale. He said running an independent storefront retail business in a small community is “very difficult.”
He said he has heard complaints that new business coming to town isn’t local.
“That mentality needs to change,” he said.
He noted the opening in 2024 of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, operated by national companies.
“Their parking lots aren’t empty,” he noted.
He said there remains “great opportunity” to refurbish historic buildings in downtown and the city has help to do so.
Vialpando recently took a job as director of the Small Business Development Center at Treasure Valley Community College. He said he intends to remain involved with the community after he leaves office.
As for advice to his successor, Alex Hartwell:
“Be available,” Vialpando said. “That’s the important thing people look for.”
As he told the council last month, “As I look to the future, I am confident Vale will continue to flourish.”
Hartwell to step in as mayor
Michael “Alex” Hartwell was elected Vale mayor in November, running unopposed to succeed Tom Vialpando.
Hartwell has served on the Vale City Council, appointed in July 2023 to fill a vacancy.
Hartwell didn’t respond to repeated telephone and email messages from the Enterprise seeking an interview.
He shared some of his background in a letter to the city when he applied for the council position.
Hartwell said his family moved to Vale in 1995 and he graduated from Vale High School in 2005.
After graduating from Oregon State University, he worked as a lab technician for a Corvallis hospital.
“After a few years with the hospital, I made a major career change,” Hartwell wrote.
He moved to North Dakota to work for a company on oil pipelines.
“I worked heavily in procurement of pipeline materials and subcontractors as well as tracking and recording daily project progress and payroll for up to two hundred employees,” he wrote.
He said he returned to Vale in 2016, working as a foreman for a contracting company with jobs around the U.S.
“After traveling the country, I decided to spend more time at home,” going to work for a local produce brokerage, his letter said.
“Spending significantly more time in Vale over the last few years I have obtained more and more interest in serving my community,” he said. He wanted to be on the council, he wrote, “to lend a hand in maintaining the sense of community that Vale has always provided.”
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