Hire a lobbyist? Molalla mayor thinks it’s time to ponder it

Published 3:11 pm Monday, July 28, 2025

Keyser says keeping an eye on Oregon Legislature is no part time effort

Molalla Mayor Scott Keyser thinks the City of Molalla, and other small towns in the area with similar issues and vision, should look into hiring a lobbyist to work in Salem.

Keyser noted that he brought up the potential for a lobbyist during the council’s goal setting session earlier in the year, but admitted it “didn’t get much traction.”

At the July 23 Molalla Council Meeting, Keyser reiterated his idea, saying he’d like to bring that idea up at a future council meeting for a real discussion.

Molalla Mayor Scott Keyser wants to talk about the value of a lobbyist in Salem.

Keyser pointed to the recently completed Oregon Legislature session and some things that he said eroded Molalla’s authority, as well as some transportation pieces that could be an issue down the road.

Keyser said that organizations that could have stepped into support the position of Molalla, and other small towns, like the League of Oregon Cities, stayed on the sidelines.

“I talked with the city manager (Dan Huff) about possibly opening discussions up with the other cities that align closely with us such as Canby, Estacada, maybe Sandy, about having some sort of representation down in Salem that is council driven, that looks after our city – just having somebody there that can keep an eye and see stuff coming.”

Keyser said that he puts in anywhere from 40 to 50 extra hours a week just trying to stay current with everything that was happening in Salem that could impact Molalla.

“They say we are volunteers, we’re not volunteers anymore, we pay to play,” Keyser said. “When you’re putting in that many hours just watching the potential attacks that come on our city…”

Keyser said he felt that having someone on the ground in Salem would be beneficial to helping curtail the continued erosion of the rights of small towns like Molalla.

“I think having somebody down there keeping an eye on what can damage our city and represent us on some of these things, is a healthy thing,” Keyser said, asking that a further discussion be put on the agenda of a future council meeting.