An Honor and a Duty

I didn’t really understand what a city councillor does until I was in my midtwenties, when I started working for the Juvenile Department of Malheur County. I used to accompany kids who owed community service hours as part of their adjudication. I would be with some of these kids more than even their probation officers were. I saw the environments they lived in, and I saw there was a lack of resources. They would talk about the things they didn’t like about their community and the reasons they wanted to leave as soon as they could.

I’m the type of person who, instead of complaining, always goes back to: “Why don’t we do it?” So I started giving that message to the kids. I would tell them, “You could be that person. You could be the mayor, you could be the city councillor, you could be the chief of police. If your reason to leave is that you hate it here, that’s the wrong reason, because you’re leaving it like that for the next kid.”

One day, I was complaining a little bit to a friend about a decision the city council made, and she said the same thing to me that I was saying to the kids. She said, “Eddie, did you know that anybody can go to those meetings and add a public comment?” And I was just kind of blown away, because I didn’t know you could just show up like that. And she said, “Here’s your opportunity to be part of the solution.”

So I got more involved, but I didn’t think that serving in public office was something I could do until 2020. When the election was getting ready to go, one of my wife’s colleagues told me, “Eddie, you should run.” And I thought, Heck no, I don’t even know what that is. And then two days later, somebody else messaged me about running, and then the next day, another. All different folks. And after that, I was like, Maybe it’s a sign. And I put my name in the hat for city council.

In Eastern Oregon, campaigning is light-years behind what’s going on in bigger cities. I went out and got twenty signatures to get on the ballot. And then I found out a couple of those folks lived outside the city limits, so I got another ten signatures. I bought fifteen signs and created a Facebook page, and I started getting some traction.

When I found out I’d been elected, it felt great. It was a confirmation of the way folks saw me: as a leader. It felt like an honor and a duty.

Serving in office was a roller coaster from the beginning. Being so naive and so new, it was hard for me to speak up when I saw or heard things in council that I didn’t like. But when I didn’t say anything, it always felt wrong. It was very tough. Then, maybe five months into my term, I thought, Why not me? Why not be the one to step out and show leadership, because that’s what the citizens want.

Learning the language of city council has been challenging. This is my fourth year, and I’m still getting the hang of how to propose something, how to move something along and get it on the agenda. For other folks it might be easy, but for me, I’m learning by making mistakes. Being an elected official has been one of the most difficult things in my life, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I traveled to Washington, DC, to advocate for public lands. I serve on so many committees. The most rewarding part of serving is how folks see you in the community, specifically Latino youths here. They see me as a leader, and I cherish that.

Serving on the city council has helped me see more clearly how a small group of folks has a lot of influence in how things go in our community. It’s not so much that they’re the majority—it’s just that they’re the most organized. They have their voice, and they make sure their voice is heard. They’re the ones who show up and provide public comment. They’re more experienced in how to tell folks what they want and need. And then there’s my folks, folks that come from poverty and have a history of being discriminated against. I’ve seen more clearly how they feel their voice is not heard, or is excluded. 

We need different perspectives and backgrounds on the city council. Serving might be stressful, but it’ll make you a better person. We need different visions. We need different mindsets. We need you.

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