Candidates running for Tigard mayor and City Council will face voters Tuesday, Oct. 20, at a free Candidate Showcase at the Tigard Public Library.

The event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Burgess Community Room, according to the city's Oct. 9 newsletter. Candidates will share their priorities in a casual format, and attendees can ask questions in person. Ten candidates are on the ballot for the four open seats.

Residents who cannot attend can watch a livestream through Microsoft Teams.

The stream is view-only. Online viewers will not be able to submit questions.

What's on the ballot

Tigard voters will choose a mayor and fill three at-large City Council seats. The top three vote-getters in the council race win.

Two candidates are running for mayor: incumbent Mayor Yi-Kang Hu and former Tigard City Manager Bill Monahan, Your Oregon News reported. Eight candidates are on the ballot for the three council seats: Yousef K. Allouzi, appointed incumbent Tom Anderson, Jeff Darland, Sue Garino, John Goodhouse, Shawne Martinez, Kate Ristau and Gabriel Elijio Velásquez.

The mayoral race has drawn sharp contrasts. In an Oct. 3 Q&A with Your Oregon News, Hu said rising costs are the biggest issue facing residents and called responsible budgeting his top priority "so residents can keep more of their money in their pockets."

Monahan, in the same Q&A, said the council's decision to put a $150 million bond measure on the ballot showed "disregard for voters" and "further eroded public trust." Monahan said voters rejected that measure by more than 62%.

The council field includes candidates with deep local ties. Garino spent 18 years with the Tigard Police Department, according to a separate Your Oregon News Q&A. Ristau has chaired the Tigard Library Board since 2022. Goodhouse served eight years on the council, including as council president. Velásquez has chaired the Town Center Advisory Commission and served on the city's Safe Streets Task Force.

Ballots and key dates

Washington County will mail ballots Wednesday, Oct. 14. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Building improvement grants now open

Separately, the city has opened applications for its Building Improvement Grant Program, which offers 50% matching grants for permanent improvements to buildings in Tigard's two tax increment financing districts.

In the City Center district, food and beverage businesses can receive up to $75,000. In the Tigard Triangle district, the cap is $50,000 for food and beverage businesses. All other eligible business types can receive up to $25,000 in either district, according to the city's economic development page.

The grants can fund exterior improvements for existing businesses and interior improvements when restaurants or retail businesses move into vacant commercial spaces.

The Candidate Showcase is free and open to the public at the Tigard Public Library.