Experience for Astoria

Leadership is more than holding a title. It’s earning trust, bringing people together, and being willing to take responsibility when the decisions are difficult.

Laura Parker has spent more than two decades in public service in Clatsop County, working directly with young people, families and the institutions that serve them. Her career has required her to work across agencies and alongside schools, law enforcement, courts and community partners—often in circumstances where there are no simple answers.

That experience has shaped the way Laura leads.

She believes in listening before making decisions. She believes people with different perspectives can still work toward a common goal. She knows that good intentions aren’t enough—government has to follow through, use resources responsibly and be accountable for results.

Laura’s commitment to service extends well beyond her profession. She has been involved in organizations throughout the community and currently serves on the Astoria Library Board. Her work with young people stretches back years; records from the Clatsop County Juvenile Department identify Laura as coordinator and case manager for the Caring Adults Developing Youth mentoring program, which connects local young people with adult mentors to encourage school success and help them reach their potential.

Her professional work has also placed her at the intersection of some of the difficult issues families and communities face—from youth prevention and substance abuse to domestic violence and public safety.

Laura brings that experience to the race for Mayor with a clear expectation of what City Hall should deliver:

Decisions should be informed. Priorities should be clear. Public resources should be used responsibly. And when the City commits to something, there should be accountability for seeing it through.

Laura is running because she has spent years working inside systems where outcomes matter, delays have consequences, and good intentions are not enough. She knows the difference between identifying a problem and actually moving it toward resolution.

As Mayor, she will bring that same discipline to City Hall—focus on the fundamentals, ask hard questions, pursue available resources, remove unnecessary obstacles, and keep projects moving until the work is done.

Astoria needs more attainable housing, but Laura does not believe we solve the problem by disproportionately taxing homeowners or working Astorians who may spend months away earning a living. She wants to focus on increasing housing supply, infrastructure, responsible development, and removing unnecessary barriers to building.

Roads, water, sewer and other essential infrastructure have to come before projects that are simply nice to have. Laura wants the City to plan ahead, aggressively pursue outside funding, and maintain what we already have instead of allowing problems to become more expensive emergencies.

Parks, recreation, the library and public spaces are part of what makes Astoria a good place to raise a family. Laura wants to maintain and improve the assets we already have and make thoughtful investments that will serve Astorians for generations.

Laura wants an economy where people can earn a good living and actually afford to remain in Astoria. That means supporting small businesses, maritime and port-related jobs, downtown businesses and other employers while making City processes easier to navigate.

Downtown should remain vibrant, safe and economically healthy while retaining the character that makes it Astoria. Laura wants to address practical barriers facing businesses and property owners and make downtown work for residents as well as visitors.

The Columbia River is not simply our scenery; it is part of Astoria’s economy, history and identity. Laura supports public access and responsible development while protecting maritime activity and the working waterfront that generations of Astorians have depended on.

Laura wants clear priorities, responsible use of taxpayer dollars and accountability for results. When the City commits to a project or policy, residents should understand why, what it will cost and whether it delivered what was promised.

Laura wants decisions about housing, parks, infrastructure, jobs and development to answer a basic question: will the next generation of working families actually be able to build a life here?