Mayor Julie Hoy said on her first day in office that gaining a better understanding of complex obstacles facing the city like the multimillion dollar budget crisis will be a key first step as she guides the city through one of its most tumultuous periods.  Hoy said improving livability in Salem will be a priority for her as the city prepares to make deep financial cuts which could drastically limit or eliminate essential city services like police, fire and the library. As a former city councilor and owner of Geppetto’s Italian Restaurant, Hoy comes into the job as mayor after two years of public service on the council. The mayor is an unpaid position and holds one of nine votes on the city council.  Hoy had little to share about her own designs for the city during a 30-minute interview with Salem Reporter the day after she was sworn in as mayor. Shortly after winning the election in May, Hoy said she was focused on getting ready for new job and has since been increasingly diligent about being present in the community and meeting with colleagues.  “It’s what I call building the ramp. Getting the pieces in place, and the people,” Hoy said after the election. “I want to do it differently than it’s been done. So it’s required more preparation, which is okay with me.” Mayor-Elect Julie Hoy says she’s “building the ramp” to lead Salem Since that May interview Hoy has made her rounds attending community events and building connections with other elected officials, city staff, and partners in the community. In December she participated in a special training for new mayors at Harvard University, and has worked with a team of city staff to get set up at her new post.  Despite her eagerness to learn and ask questions, those around her have described conversations with Hoy in recent months as high-level, logistical or largely lacking in detail or specific plans.  Julie Hoy jumps right in as she prepares to be mayor, but her plans remain unclear But Tuesday, Jan. 14, she was unwilling to share her appraisal of the city’s looming budget crisis. “I’m not prepared to answer that. We are a committee, and we need to meet to discuss it,” Hoy said, referring to the city’s budget committee. “These processes that are taking place are going to bring us to a clearer understanding of what the picture actually is.”  Hoy serves on the city’s forecast review team that includes budget committee members and local business leaders. The group recently shaved its forecast for the budget shortfall for the next year from nearly $18 million to about $14 million. That was an eye opening experience for her, Hoy said. New forecast shows smaller Salem budget deficit, but deep cuts still likely “That was super enlightening for me and for us all to come together in a spirit of cooperation and understanding and listening and finding different ways to maybe look at things,” Hoy said. “It is super important in developing trust. To bring those people into the room, and now they get to go out into the community, and talk about the fact that this examination has taken place and that we’ve come to a…different result.”  Hoy said she looks forward to deeper examinations by others of the city’s budget. She specifically cited a new committee focused on bringing community members with experience working with multimillion-dollar budgets to the table to look for efficiencies.  The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Marion & Polk Counties – collectively known as Salem Solutions – recently proposed the extra look besides the city’s own budget work.  The Salem City Council on Monday approved formation of what will be known as the city Budget Efficiencies Committee.  Chamber, home builders association call for new committee to focus on city budget  “I feel so excited to see what they come up with, when they walk through that process together with fresh eyes and open ears and minds, and where we land,” Hoy said of the committee. “To have the community come in and participate in examining it and looking at how we are doing things. I think it is really exciting.”  During Hoy’s campaign she said she would get to the bottom of the city’s often opaque budgetary process. On Monday she said there are still some budget questions she hopes to ask.  “I am certain there are questions. But they are not necessarily unanswered. They haven’t been asked yet,” Hoy said.  Betsy Schultz, Hoy’s campaign strategist, told Salem Reporter that Hoy is working to build inroads with the development community to figure out tactics to remove barriers and increase housing at an affordable rate in Salem. Hoy said she had not met with members of the development community.  “I think it is most important for me to have a better understanding of how the processes work in order for development to happen, and what our planning commission is doing, and I haven’t been at those meetings yet. So, I am going to learn a lot,” Hoy said. “I have friends in the business. But I don’t meet with developers, like I’m working on something. There’s no ill motive there.”  Hoy said the city needs to make sure it is not in the way of development that can increase the housing stock.  She said she is enthusiastic about collaborating with county officials. She said she is learning about the roles the county and the city can play in different arenas and how collaboration will help get things done for Salem.  Hoy said she has relationships with all the Marion County commissioners. She wouldn’t discuss her close relations with Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell.  “I have nothing to say about that. Nothing. I have a lot of friends,” Hoy said. “The bottom line is, there are county commissioners, and there’s a mayor and a council of Salem, and we need to be working together for the good of the people…Not for an agenda. Not for anything that anybody is trying to insinuate, there’s nothing there, but what is for the good of the people.” Hoy used the interview as an occasion to criticize recent reporting by Salem Reporter on her approaching duty as mayor. She said the coverage was “subversive” without elaborating. She complained about a story published on Monday, Jan. 13 – but acknowledged she had not read the article. She said she didn’t trust Salem Reporter, would not consent to future phone interviews and said questions for her should be sent to her city executive assistant. Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE – If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Mayor Julie Hoy says she’s focused on livability as city faces budget crisis  appeared first on Salem Reporter.