ENDORSEMENTS

Kroc Center - Aquatics For Salem 

As Mayor of Salem, Janet Taylor has served on the Kroc Center Executive Committee from the beginning of the process, and led the original presentation that brought Salem and the local Salvation Army the $60 million dollar grant.

The construction of the Kroc Center will provide our community with a large warm water leisure and play pool in addition to a regulation size competitive pool to encourage our children to enter this positive activity.

Gymnasium, arts and crafts classrooms, rock climbing wall, and other choices will open up the recreational opportunities for our younger generation in addition to wellness and exercise options for our seniors.

Janet Taylor was featured on the cover of the Dec. 2007 Oregon Business Magazine as a winner of the Oregon Philanthropy Award for the Kroc Center Initiative Committee - "Outstanding Innovative Project" >> Janet Taylor - Philanthropic Award Winner

Safer Neighborhoods For Salem 

Continue support for the Fire Department to reduce emergency response times. Sufficient funding for the Police Department to combat use of drugs, control of graffiti and gang activity. Maintaining programs for children, families, youth, and seniors.

These figures follow the trend during the years Janet Taylor has been Mayor of Salem through her strong support of public safety, particularly in adding additional police officers.

These yearly crime statistics are provided by the Salem Police Department.
Serious crime in Salem:

Property crime and violent crime in Salem still exceed state and national rates per 1,000 population, but at least the move is in the right direction because since 2004, Salem's Serious (Violent) Crime index per 1,000 population and since 2003, Salem's Property Crimes index per 1,000 population has gone down every year.

A Vibrant Downtown For Salem 

Janet has always believed that a vital downtown has a positive effect on the entire city. Vacancy rates have been drastically reduced from 24% to 7% during the five years Janet has served as Mayor. Her long-term relationships with business and property owners produced many successful public/private partnerships that resulted in the renovation of historic downtown buildings into mixed-use.

Janet Taylor believes a revitalization program will increase tourism and activity downtown, which will encourage retailers to develop niche markets and offer exceptional customer service. Streamlining of regulations has encouraged private investment to restore downtown historic buildings into retail, office, and housing choices.

Through Janet's business experience, she has led the effort to bring financial stability to a downtown organization to promote this special destination and develop exciting new events.

Over a three year period, Janet built the relationships and trust with the owners of the Boise Cascade property. When it was available for sale to private owners for redevelopment, Janet provided the leadership to keep the process on track to a final successful agreement. This riverfront property will become a true destination for our downtown.

Family Wage Jobs For Salem 

Over the last 14 years, Janet has worked in partnership with the State of Oregon, SEDCOR, and the City to transition the Mill Creek Corporate Center into a productive location for creating jobs. The 500 plus acres will provide as many as 5,000 family wage jobs along with $400-million in private investment in our community. Additional jobs created during Janet Taylor's tenure through the SeQuential-Pacific BioDiesel plant, the new Federal Express Ground facility under construction, and the expansions of both Yamasa and Imex.

Garmin AT located in Salem is undergoing a large expansion of their manufacturing facility and will be hiring up to 125 new engineers. Their management has known Janet for many years and trusted her to facilitate a resolution of issues that would have forced this expansion to another state.

Janet was directly involved in the presentations and negotiations with Wachovia to locate their very first customer care center West of the Mississippi River. This important business is employing over 500 local people with benefits and a company philosophy of giving back to the community.

For over two years, Janet partnered with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, the Strategic Economic Development Corporation and local businesses led by George Puentes, to attract commercial air service to Salem. In June of 2007, Delta Airlines, through its' partner SkyWest, began commercial air service worldwide through their Salt Lake City hub, with negotiations currently underway to expand service directly from Salem to Los Angeles.

Efficient Use of Tax Payer Dollars 

Local government has the responsibility to provide essential services of Police, Fire, water, sewer, and streets along with library and parks.

The ability of the City of Salem to manage difficult budgets through the last five years has been enhanced by Janet's business experience balanced with her personal experience of growing up on welfare. She understands that with limited revenues, the city must focus on supporting the social services that provide the safety net for those less fortunate while providing the essential services of local government.

Protecting our Willamette River through the reduction in sewer system overflows during winter months was a primary focus of Janet's efforts in 2003. Working closely with the Public Works Director, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, a "first in the nation" solution was developed that reduced the cost of a auxiliary wastewater treatment plant from $450 million to $280 million - saving local water/sewer rate payers from major price increases.

The building that housed the City Information Technology Department was far past its' useful life, and was a major impediment to the planned Willamette University construction of a performing arts center. Janet drew on her strong relationship with Willamette University to encourage the sale of the IT Center and a city-owned parking lot along with the vacation of some streets, to Willamette University to put together a suitable site. The new IT Center will be part of a mixed-use site including a new Capital Community Television facility and 27 condominiums, a true win for the City, CCTV, and Willamette University that leverages taxpayer dollars to obtain the most bang for the buck.

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