Lane County Commissioner Ryan Ceniga is seeking a second term and faces a challenge from Thomas Hiura, both of whom currently serve on local school boards, according to an April 21 announcement. The two candidates are competing in the May 19 election for the District 1 seat, which covers western Lane County including Florence, Veneta, and Junction City.
The outcome of this race will determine who represents the district on the county board. Commissioners play a significant role in setting policies that affect waste management, economic development, housing, health services, and budgeting decisions for county operations.
Hiura has made accountability and transparency central themes of his campaign. He said he wants to improve access to county services for coastal and rural residents by establishing a county office on the coast. “That way more of our beloved neighbors can afford to live, thrive and invest in West Lane instead of having to go elsewhere to get their needs met,” Hiura said. He added that requiring residents to travel far distances for services is prohibitive: “If people have to drive all the way to downtown Eugene, it’s very prohibitive for a lot of people who don’t live close to that right area.” Hiura emphasized his experience working with urban and rural communities through his service on the Lane Education Service District board as preparation for regional policy work.
Ceniga highlighted public safety funding as one of his main concerns moving forward. He said ongoing discussions may result in asking voters for additional funding through taxes or levies but expressed caution about increasing taxpayer burdens: “People’s appetite for more taxes is about full,” Ceniga said. “So we’re going to have to get creative. We can’t just keep putting this on the backs of taxpayers.” Ceniga also supports the county’s land banking program designed to make parcels ready for affordable housing development by resolving regulatory issues before selling them: “It’s us working through our own barriers,” he said.
Both candidates bring diverse backgrounds; Hiura works as a multimedia producer and small business owner while serving as an elected member of an education board. Ceniga previously worked at Eugene Water & Electric Board before becoming commissioner and currently chairs the five-member board.
County commissioners are nonpartisan officials with annual salaries set at $114,026. With only two candidates running in this district’s race, voters’ decision in May will directly determine who takes office.
