Ben Mitchell was sworn in as a new City Councilor at the regular meeting of City Council on Monday, August 12. Municipal Judge Ruben Cleaveland issued the oath of office.
The Hood River City Council appointed Mitchell, a Hood River Planning Commissioner, to fill the seat held by Councilor Tim Counihan who passed away in April of 2024. Mitchell was interviewed along with four other applicants at the July 22, 2024 meeting. After hearing from each of the candidates, Council members voted on their preferred candidate.
After initially tying with Urban Renewal Advisory Committee member Amanda Goecke for the seat, Mitchell was ultimately selected. The Mayor and Councilors encouraged the other candidates to consider applying for City boards or running for and thanked them for their willingness to serve. Mitchell has stepped down from his role as commissioner in order to assume the Council position. Recruitment for the Planning Commission vacancy will begin later this month.
Mitchell expressed the importance of addressing the lack of affordable housing in his interview responses. “I hope that… I could help make Hood River a more affordable place to live. It is no secret that we are in an insane housing crisis here… I want to make housing more accessible for people of all walks of life,” he said. He also stressed the importance of transparency and community engagement.
Mitchell has lived in Hood River since 2010, moving to the area for an AmeriCorps term of service in the aftermath of the Great Recession. He worked as a journalist for local newspapers for several years before getting a master’s degree. He now works in marketing department at Mount Hood Meadows.