A Caribou city councilor is seeking reelection because she wants to see the city encourage economic development, grow housing and remain an affordable place to live.
Tamara Lovewell, 47, first joined the City Council in January 2024.
She is running unopposed and is the only incumbent who’ll be on the ballot in November. Newcomers are running for the other two open council seats.
“As a taxpayer myself, I am keenly aware of the burden that increasing property taxes place on our residents,” Lovewell said. “I believe one of the best long-term ways to address this is by growing our tax base rather than continuing to place more of the burden on existing taxpayers.”
Lovewell and her husband, Lance, have been married for 22 years and have a blended family of 12 children and six grandchildren.
Family is the most important part of their lives and is her greatest motivation to make the community a better place, she said.
If elected, economic development and drawing new opportunities to Caribou would be among Lovewell’s top priorities. She also feels it’s important to spur community revitalization, invest responsibly in infrastructure and services and bring new housing into the city.
To accomplish that, she’d like to explore more grant-funded projects, seek public-private partnerships and promote fiscal responsibility within city departments.
City leaders need to create a community where people want to live and which gives new families a reason to make their home in Caribou.
“I believe we need to recognize what makes our community special and build upon it, while looking creatively at opportunities to revitalize our city, grow our tax base and improve quality of life,” Lovewell said.
City Council service “comes with quite a learning curve,” she said, but she’s learned a lot about municipal policy and decision-making.
The council has delved into important issues during her tenure, including blight removal, cleanup projects and public safety improvements. Members have also enlarged small business opportunities and promoted positive municipal working conditions, she said.
She’d like to see the group work more toward finding middle ground on important issues. Councilors brings their own perspectives, which is good, but should be open to changing their minds.
“We can respect each other’s viewpoints while also having the flexibility to listen, reconsider our own positions and think outside our own boxes when necessary,” she said.
Lovewell said her independent perspective has allowed her to make decisions based on common sense, reasoning and putting the needs of the community above political affiliation.
Though unaffiliated with a party, she often aligns with Republican values, she said.
Lovewell studied business and pre-law at Mt. Hood Community College, Columbia Gorge Community College and Central Washington University.
She is also a local small business owner: she and her husband operate Ruska Coffee Co. in Caribou.
Voters should know that councilors are community members, too, and most pursue the elected volunteer position because they genuinely want to help make the community a better place, Lovewell said.
“It is my heartfelt desire to make the best decisions I can, always considering the many people who may be impacted by those choices,” she said. “I will continue to serve Caribou thoughtfully and with integrity, common sense, an open mind and a willingness to work across differences for the people of our community.”