Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Scott McKee Jr. wants to ensure that Sweet Home is able to continue reshaping itself as it has during the past 15 years, and he wants to see more local job opportunities.
McKee is one of seven candidates running for four seats on the City Council in the Nov. 7 election.
“I have watched Sweet Home grow from a struggling community into a people with a vision who realize the natural beauty and potential of our city,” McKee said. Through donations and volunteerism, “our community has begun to reshape itself into a thriving society that embraces growth and tourism. I would personally like to assure that this continues to happen for the benefit of our city.”
McKee would like to get present and new business owners to focus on upgrading the appearance of their buildings, he said. He wants to see “open businesses, not a bunch of empty windows.”
Sweet Home doesn’t need any more beauty salons or restaurants, he said. It needs souvenir shops and different things “you find in other communities.”
To get it going, McKee thinks the city should offer incentives to industrial and commercial businesses to get them to locate here. The city needs to find businesses that would be a good fit for the community.
The city should hold fairs or attend events where they can tell people about Sweet Home, he said. “That way they know there’s open spaces here.”
There have been “a lot of words in the community but not a whole lot of action,” McKee said. “I think the city should see (economic development) as a priority.”
The community needs things for people to do, he said. “Tons of people are moving here, but there’s nothing happening here.”
The city needs to find ways to attract businesses, he said. If possible, it should offer tax breaks.
“Oregon is a small business safe haven,” McKee said. “We take care of small businesses.”
It would be in keeping with that spirit for the city to dedicate a limited amount of resources to filling up the empty spaces.
“The way I see it, nothing comes free in this world,” he said. “If we sit back, nothing will happen.”
McKee said another side of the problem is typified by his commute to Springfield, where he works at Safeway. He said he has to travel for an extra dollar per hour so he can survive.
Sweet Home needs more industry, some type of manufacturing, he said. “I don’t want to rely on tourism. I think it’s a good thing to have it, but I think there’s also six months out of the year when tourists aren’t excited about coming to wet Oregon.”
That’s not good for small communities, he said. Sweet Home needs local industrial jobs.
Improving the appearance of the downtown area, and parks “is not just business owners’ responsibility,” he said. ” We need people to come downtown and help out, pick up trash – not because it’s theirs but because it’s on their streets.”
Regarding water and sewer rates, “I want lower rates, but how are we going to accomplish it,” he said. He hopes OMI, the new contract plant operator will help, but he still needs to learn more about the subject. “I need to see it for myself.”
If it saves money for the community, it still needs to run well, he said.
McKee said he doesn’t have a personal agenda. He simply wants to represent the town, listen to opinions and use the experience of the current council to improve his home town, he said. He sees himself as a team player who is good with people, he said.
“I see myself as an active community member who cares,” he said. “I’m available to the public.”
McKee is married to Eldawna. They have two children, Cora, 6, and Noah, 2. He has worked at Safeway in Sweet Home for more than five years and transferred to Springfield earlier this year.
He earned his GED from Linn-Benton Community College and has taken college courses there as well.
He serves on the city’s Parks Board, Tree Commission, Planning Commission and Budget Committee.