Where Bernadette sees that
Bend can do
BETTER.
Our money
Our home
Our daily life
Here's exactly where City Hall has drifted from the people it's
supposed to serve - and what Bernadette will do about it.
Key Guiding Principles
How Bernadette will actually govern.
Transparency & Accuracy
City Hall currently manages the message rather than sharing the facts.
- I will share clear, accurate data
- I will guarantee that residents hear what they need to know, not just what leadership wants them to know.
True Community Engagement
Governance shouldn't just be for those who already agree with the City Council. I will replace echo-chamber politics with genuine engagement:
- Active Participation: Bringing residents into the decision-making process, rather than just asking for passive comments on already finished staff plans.
- Collaboration: working together to identify needs and develop solutions that protect Bend’s long-term livability.
- Inclusivity: Ensuring diverse voices are heard, valued, and reflected in measurable results.
Key Guiding Pillars
Ending the Spending Frenzy
Bend’s operational expenses currently exceed revenue. To maintain its spending habits, City Hall is relying on debt financing and hidden taxes - like the Transportation Utility Fee.
Meanwhile, leadership justifies a $130 million remote public works facility as being "efficient" when it actually doubles staff travel time.
THE ACTION:
I will bring strict accountability and responsible budgeting back to City Hall. Financial reporting will be clear and simplified.
I will require proof that the community benefit of any expenditure is greater than its cost and complete with post-construction audits to measure true effectiveness.
Built for Bend
We cannot rely on state-level housing needs data analysis - lumping Bend in with cities like Portland and Salem. We need to use actual local data.
The increasing commuter traffic on Highway 97 proves we are not providing adequate workforce housing for Bend's workers.
THE ACTION:
We will audit our developer incentives to determine what actually works best for Bend and then double down on those successful strategies.
Safe Roads for Everyone
City leadership broke the GO Bond promise to prioritize traffic flow, ignoring overwhelming community opposition to experiments like the Greenwood Avenue pilot. Instead of maintaining our existing roads and bike lanes, they have front-loaded funds into ineffective projects, creating a false and divisive conflict between drivers and cyclists.
THE ACTION:
I support honoring the original GO Bond promise. We will take care of our existing infrastructure and use unbiased data to support projects that benefit everyone.
Furthermore, I will mandate strict reporting on the ROI and effectiveness of every capital improvement project. We deserve to know what we are getting for our hard-earned dollars.
OUR MONEY
Financial Stewardship
"Families are not an endless source of revenue."
In the past 4 years, our leadership has increased spending by 1.5X, draining what was steady surplus
Right now, Bend's total debt is $480 million - roughly triple what it was when the incumbent was elected - and principal and interest payments are up 1.5x from four years ago.
This unstainable growth in spending is something everyone understands.
Are the benefits from this spending more than the cost?
When Bend residents tighten their belts, City Hall should too.
EXAMPLE - Financial Mismanagement
The $130 million Public Works Campus is one example - its annual debt service alone is a new expense of about $9 million a year.
A project that large should come with a clear explanation of what residents are gaining in return. Instead, City Hall keeps inventing new fees and charges while it keeps borrowing more.
Current Impact
Every additional fee lands on someone - a parent buying groceries, a worker trying to afford rent, a retiree on a fixed income, a small business trying to keep its doors open.
My Solution
Financial Performance Criteria
- Listening & Collaboration
- Clear Criteria & Goals
- Monitoring with 100% Transparency
Financial reporting should be clear enough that any resident can see where their money is going and what they're getting for it.
This isn't about refusing to invest in Bend - it's about the same common-sense discipline every family already practices at its own kitchen table. If Bend is going to spend it, borrow it, or charge us for it, City Hall should be able to show us exactly what we're getting - including between its own internal committees, before further money is committed.
Key Takeaways
If Bend is going to spend it, borrow it, or charge us for it, City Hall should be able to show us exactly what we’re getting.
The budget and financial reports are not transparent even to the Budget Committee. I will bring financial clarity within the governmental process, even between internal committees, before we are committed to further expenditures.
OUR HOME
Thoughtful Housing
"More housing isn't enough. Bend needs the right housing."
Bend needs housing for the people who live and work here - families, teachers, nurses, service workers, young people starting out, and longtime residents who want to stay in the community they call home.
The city's own 2025 State of Housing Report found professionally managed rental properties had a 7.9% vacancy rate in 2024, well above Bend's 15-year average of 5.3%.
Yet families and workers are still struggling to find housing they can afford.
That tells us something important: MORE UNITS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH.
The question should not simply be:
How many units did we build?
It should be:
Did we build housing workers in Bend can actually afford?
When Bend residents tighten their belts, City Hall should too.
EXAMPLE - Developer Driven Housing
Jackstraw is a clear example of why thoughtful housing matters. The project received approval for approximately $10.6 million in property-tax exemptions over 10 years. Its approved housing plan included 313 apartments - 311 market-rate units and only 2 income-restricted units.
That's the kind of result Bend should examine carefully before continuing to hand out major incentives in the name of affordability.
Current Impact
The City of Bend is using state-level data to determine what kinds of housing we need to be building. I want to use local-level data and collaborate with the overall community - in Bend - to determine housing needs.
My Solution
Measure the Need First
- Local housing need analysis + community input
- Focus on most effective measures
- Monitor results & adjust
Before Bend provides major incentives, changes development codes, or commits public resources to housing projects, City Hall should identify what housing our community actually needs - by price point, household type, and location.
Key Takeaways
I support housing growth. But I want it to be thoughtful housing growth - housing that strengthens neighborhoods, gives working families and local employees realistic choices, and protects Bend’s long-term livability.
I’m pro-housing. I’m pro-thoughtful housing - not a blank check to approve any housing project and call it affordability.
Our daily life
Transportation
"A transportation project should solve a problem, not create a new one."
In 2020, Bend voters approved a $190 million transportation bond to improve traffic flow and east-west connections.
That was the promise:
After spending millions of dollars, residents are still dealing with major traffic concerns.
It should be:
Are Bend residents actually getting their money’s worth?
EXAMPLE - Greenwood Avenue
Greenwood Avenue showed why that question matters. A major east-west connection was reduced from four vehicle lanes to two.
That was not a minor change:
- The reduction in vehicle capacity made it harder to access local businesses.
- Declining business revenue.
- This also raised serious concerns about emergency response and evacuation.
- The number of crashes doubled.
The City has added a Transportation Utility Fee expected to generate about $10 million per year primarily for maintenance. However today the funding of street preservation has decreased overall.
Current Impact
Transportation decisions affect local businesses, families trying to get across town, workers commuting every day, emergency responders, cyclists, pedestrians, and everyone who depends on our streets to travel.
My Solution
Let’s review our overall approach to Bend’s streets
- Listening & Collaboration
- Creating a more effective strategy to approach projects and priorities
- Monitoring and adjusting as needed
Key Takeaways
If a project cannot demonstrate the desired benefits, we need to come back to the table.
A transportation project should solve a problem, not create a new one.
Ready for a City Hall that works
for
ALL
of us?
This is what Bernadette will bring to the mayor's office from day one
- not slogans, real accountability.