Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2016 Primary Election

Your name as listed on the ballot: Bill Burgess

Age: 64

City/town of residence: Salem, Oregon

Position you are seeking (name of position, district number, etc.): Marion County Clerk

Are you currently a full-time resident within the boundaries of the specific area (ward, district, county, etc.) that you seek to represent? Yes, I am a full-time Marion County Resident residing in Salem, Oregon.

Number of current, consecutive years living within the district you seek to represent: 36 years.

Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home or number of grown children): Cindy Burgess and two grown children, one still at home.

Your education (high school, trade, college, post-baccalaureate; indicate any degrees you earned): Sunny Hills High School graduate; Fullerton Junior College, A.A.; Oregon State University, BS-Pharmacy; Lewis & Clark College, MPA. (also Certified Election Registrar Administrator, (CERA) graduate through the Election Center and Auburn University 2014).

If employed, current occupation, employer and job duties:Marion County Clerk

Previous employers and when:Oregon Pharmacy Services and PRN from about 1980 though about 2012Oregon State Hospital, pharmacist 2000-2004Quisenberry Pharmacy pharmacist 1996-2000Bi-Mart Pharmacy Manager, Salem 1979-1993Bi-Mart and Tiffany Pharmacies in Eugene/Springfield 1976-1979

Military service and when:

Volunteer/civic/religious service and when:Finance Committee Chair, Morningside United Methodist Church 2015 - present.Salem City Council 1990-1998

Salem Keizer Public Schools Bond Steering Committee 1998Liberty Boone Neighborhood Association Chair about 1990-1992Oregon State Pharmacists Association Board of Delegates, legislative committee, convention committee, resolutions committee 1980s through 1990’sMarion Polk Yamhill Pharmacists Association President, Vice-President and Treasurer various stints in the 1980’s and 1990’sSunday school teacher, Trinity Covenant Church sometime in the 1980’s

Please list all public offices to which you’ve been elected, and when:Marion County Clerk 2004, 2008 and 2012.Salem City Councilor 1991 and 1995.

Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:Marion County Commissioner 1998, 2000 and 2002

Other prior political and government experience: Student Body President, Fullerton Junior College.

How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information will be made public):

Mail address:

E-mail address: billburgess@earthlink.net

Web site URL: electbillburgess.com

Phone: 503-884-7438

Facebook: Facebook.com/reelectbillburgess

Other social media:

Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words.

1. To an outsider, how would you describe the region you wish to represent -- geographically, economically, politically and socially? Marion county is both rural and urban with 20 cities, including Salem, Oregon’s capitol city. We are the leading agricultural producing county in Oregon. We are diverse in religion and heritage. We are united in striving to protect and improve thriving communities.

2. What are the positives and negatives of this region (ward, district, county or state) that you wish to represent? As an election official I see a higher

voter participation than national rates a positive, though it is not as good as it should be. Conversely, Marion County has a higher percentage of eligible to vote, but unregistered adults than many other Oregon counties.

3. What specific skills and experiences do you bring to the position, especially ones that would help turn those negatives into positives? I have eleven years of leadership experience as Marion County Clerk in enhancing efficiency, accuracy and delivering great customer service in administering elections (over 40 elections) and our licensing and recording operation. Inquisitiveness, tenacity, communication skills and a commitment to excellence have helped me deliver on improvements such as a better vote tally system, 24/7 ballot drop sites, electronic submission of land records for recording, digitizing 1.5 million images, and recording and marriage license process upgrades. I also use these skills in regularly encouraging people I meet to register and to vote.

4. What separates you from your opponent(s)? Be specific. Experience and education which have and continue to deliver operational improvements. I am committed to continuous quality improvement and to personal growth.

5. Please list five specific accomplishments that you have achieved in politics or civic affairs:As County Clerk:Upgraded vote tally system increasing accuracy and improving documentation of voter intent.Instituted electronic submission of land records for recordingDigitized 1.5 million pages of records for easier searching and viewing. Instituted secure 24/7 ballot drop sites and added other sites for voter convenience.Administered over 40 elections.As City Councilor:$20+ million bond for transportation improvements including sidewalks to schools.Riverfront Park (Staff advised against development) (I believe bridgehead to Minto Island was a 5-4 vote)Helped make citizens feel more welcome to testify and feel heard.Speed zones around schools when yellow lights were flashing (Salem was a demonstration project)Speed berms on residential streets to reduce speed for resident and pedestrian safety.

As Pharmacist:Pharmacists allowed to interchange dosage forms to better serve patients.Helped on enabling generic substitution through legislation.Helped develop standards for use of pharmacy technicians.

6. How much will your Primary Election campaign cost? (be specific)Probably $6,000 to $15,000.

7. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details. No

8. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details. Bankruptcy about 2002. Was late on paying property taxes once sometime in the 1990’s

9. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected, and how? (75 words for each issue)

A. Continue to provide and improve on open, convenient, efficient, accurate and transparent voter registration and election administration that upholds public trust in the integrity of elections and citizen governance.

B. Continue to protect, preserve for posterity and make readily available our land records, an underpinning of our American financial markets and business capital, while shielding when possible, personal information. Adopt best practices as knowledge and technology improve.

C. Move our secure 23,000 square foot archive facility to an appropriate place.

10. What do you see as other important issues?Improve voter participation through better communication.Diversify workforce to better represent and serve our customers.Encourage younger people to pursue public service.Provide skill, knowledge and performance enhancement opportunities for team members.

11. What online and/or print publications do you regularly read to keep abreast of issues in the district you seek to represent? Statesman Journal, Election Administration Reports, Election Line, Election Academy, Governing Magazine, NACRC, IACREOT, PRIA, New York Times.

12. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you should disclose before it comes up in the campaign? Anything (including health issues) that would affect your ability to serve your full term? Any changes in your life situation that are contemplated or expected before the election or before you would take office? No.

Thank you. Please return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board as an attached Word document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com by April 20, 2016.