Survey Response:

Local businessman Gary Perman announces run for Camas City Council

Gary Perman has formally filed for office to run for Camas City Council in the Ward 1 open seat being vacated by Melissa Smith. Gary was born and raised in Camas. He is a graduate of Camas High School, attended Washington State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Washington University. “I am running for Camas City Council to bring more common sense to City Hall,” said Gary. “The City must do a better job at managing growth, so that infrastructure costs do not place a greater tax burden on our residents. Rising water and sewer fees along with non-stop property tax increases are hurting our citizens,” added Gary.

“As a City Council Member, I’ll focus on fiscal responsibility within the city budget and working hard to protect our small town character and livability, while ensuring public access to parks, hiking and waterfronts. Many of my neighbors feel a deep disconnect between City Hall and our community,” said Gary. “When I’m elected, I’ll reopen the lines of communication to better serve our citizens. The City Council’s proposal to push through the $78 million pool bond that citizens rejected by 90 percent demonstrates that disconnect,” said Gary. “Citizens can rest assured that I will never support such an unpopular idea, nor will I vote for tax increases.”

Gary has owned his own successful business, PermanTech Search Group for the past 25 years. His company specializes in recruiting critical talent for the alternative fuels industry across the U.S. Gary is married for 37 years to his wife, Becky Webberley Perman from Fern Prairie and they raised their two sons in Camas. He attends St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Washougal and has been active on the board of directors since 2010.

Gary is past President of Oregon’s Institute of Engineer and Electronics Engineers, (IEEE). He is a member of the Society Automotive Engineers and NTEA - the Association for the Work Truck Industry. He’s a former member of Rotary International, SHARE and the Camas Lions Club.

“I love Camas. I care deeply about our community and I’m ready to start a new era of accountability in Camas City government,” pledged Gary. He can be reached at Tel. (360) 835-2205. His website will be up and running soon at VoteGaryPerman.com.

People before politics!

Our citizens deserve the best leadership possible at City Hall

Citizens have lost faith in our City’s leadership. People are being ignored and reduced to zoom meetings. For more than a year, city leaders refused to meet face to face with the citizens they serve. Whether it be on the issue of the outrageous $78 million pool bond proposal, or placing a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center near elementary schools and residential neighborhoods, or raising property taxes again and again, leaders are are simply not listening. They think they know what’s best for us. It’s time for positive change in Camas. I’m ready to deliver new leadership that puts the best interests of our citizens first, every time. That’s why my campaign slogan is “People before politics!” 

• Delivering better communication to citizens

• Prioritize spending; no new taxes

• Leading with real world business experience

• Carefully manage growth to protect our small town character

• Bringing more living wage jobs to Camas

• Supporting public safety to keep Camas safe

I welcome your call at Tel. (360) 835-2205 or email at info@VoteGaryPerman.com. I would appreciate your vote on August 3rd and again on November 2nd.

 People before politics

I’ve lived in Camas nearly all my life. Over the past several years, I’ve watched Camas City leaders ignore the very citizens they are supposed to serve. As your voice on the Camas City Council, I’ll never forget that I work for you, not the staff at City Hall. Every decision I make will be made with the best interests of our citizens in mind. That’s why my campaign slogan is “People before politics!”

Delivering better communication to citizens

The City Council used the Pandemic as an excuse to further degrade communications between the City and the people. It’s past time for the City Council to safely conduct their meetings in public with citizens invited to fully participate. Our City officials have done such a poor job of communicating, that they decided to recently hire a communications director, paid for with your hard-earned tax dollars. The best communication comes directly from elected officials to the citizens they serve, not a government official whose job is to spin city business in the best possible light. Citizens deserve to hear the truth directly from their elected officials. As your voice, I’ll shine the light on City Government and provide complete transparency to Camas residents.

The City must live within its means

As your City Council Member, I’ll focus on fiscal responsibility within the city budget, while prioritizing public safety and other essential services our citizens need. Camas has benefited greatly from a strong industrial tax base and robust residential housing market. There is no justification to continue to raise property taxes on our working families. The City Council’s proposal in 2019 to push through the extravagant $78 million pool bond was a terrible idea. Camas residents stood up to reject it with a 90 percent “NO” vote.  Citizens can rest assured that I will never support such an unpopular idea, nor will I vote for other tax increases.

Leading with real world business experience

I’ve owned my own successful business for the past 25 years. I know how to balance a budget and make payroll. I bring real world business experience to this position. We need more people who’ve signed the front side of a paycheck in community elected positions, not those who are already employed in other government agencies. With my business experience, I bring professionalism, collaboration, and personal integrity to this important elected position. I’ll never forget that I answer to the citizens I represent.

Carefully managing growth to protect our small town character

Camas is a very special place and as your City Council Member, I’ll work hard to keep it that way. I pledge to you that I will do all I can to protect our small town character and livability by doing a better job at managing the rapid growth that Camas is experiencing. I’ll provide more intentional leadership about where new residential, commercial and industrial growth occurs to protect our quality of life while ensuring public access to parks, hiking trails and our waterfronts. I’ll deliver strong leadership so that new infrastructure costs do not place a greater tax burden on our residents. I’ll hold the line on rising water and sewer fees and reject new property tax increases.

Camas needs more living wage jobs

Portland is failing its business community. We have an incredible opportunity to attract those businesses to Camas that are fleeing bad municipal policies. As your City Council Member, I’ll work tirelessly to bring those jobs here. I’ve spent a career in the professional recruitment industry. I know how to successfully communicate with business leaders because I’ve been doing it all over the U.S. from my office in Camas for the past 25 years. UL Laboratories has moved out of Camas for greener pastures. Sharp Laboratories has also left Camas and they’re not coming back. Living wage jobs at our Georgia Pacific paper mill are dwindling. I have the professional experience and proven business leadership to attract and recruit new clean industry to Camas. Greater economic opportunities will actually lower the tax burden on our residents by spreading it out among more industries who want to locate here. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live where they work. Bringing more living wage jobs to our community is one of the top areas that I will focus on because quality of life begins with a good job.

Supporting our men and women on front lines of public safety

As your City Council Member, I will always support our law enforcement officers to keep our neighborhoods safe. In our growing City of Camas, we need more police officers, not less. By prioritizing spending, we can fully fund public safety without raising taxes. People are moving to Camas because it’s not Portland or Seattle. I’ll provide strong and conservative leadership to ensure Camas remains a safe place to live, work and raise a family.

I welcome your call at Tel. (360) 835-2205 or email at info@VoteGaryPerman.com. I would appreciate your vote on August 3rd and again on November 2nd.