The Coquille City Council has five candidates in line to fill a vacant City Council seat.

After Monday interviews councilors had planned to select someone to fill the four-year term, but opted to think about their selection until the Jan. 5 meeting.

The candidates are Amanda Davidson, John Spencer, Matt Muenchrath, Dian Courtright and Nikole Graham. None of the hopefuls said they had any city government experience. Three of the candidates  — Davidson, Spencer and Courtright — had run in November’s election. When asked why they didn’t run in the election, Muenchrath and Graham said it wasn’t the right time.

Amanda Davidson

• How long in Coquille? Three years.

• Occupation: Marketing assistant, Oregon First Community Credit Union.

• Organizations: American Legion Coquille Post 36.

• Top concern: “Just that we stay on the right track.”

Davidson would like to see the Coquille Riverwalk and Coquille Dog Park projects move forward.

• Experience: Davidson said her 10 years in the U.S. Navy taught her how to work under pressure and understand how to adhere to a chain of command.

• Role of a city councilor: “I think the role is to be the voice of the people. The role is to work as a team and promote the city. To listen to people, find out what they want and try to make the best decisions that we can.”

• Goals for the city: “To keep on track. Taking it step by step is very important.” Davidson said the city should finish current projects before taking on anything new.

John Spencer

• How long in Coquille?  Two years

• Occupation: Works the graveyard shift at Roseburg Forest Products mill.

• Organizations:  Rotary Club of Coquille, Lions Club of Coquille, former member of Coquille planning commission and chamber of commerce.

• Top concern: He is concerned about Coquille’s steady decline from a vibrant city to a place with numerous empty storefronts. He wants to help market the city and draw in businesses.

• Experience: Spencer said his business and marketing experience would help Coquille. “I am hoping we can help market and create a plan for Coquille.”

• Role of a city councilor: A city councilor needs to be out in the public as much as possible, not only working in government but as a volunteer and community leader.

• Goals for the city: “I really believe that the city needs to have a plan for the city, for what it wants to look like and the businesses it wants. ... What do we want Coquille to look like 25 years from now?”

Matt Muenchrath

• How long in Coquille?  Almost 7 years

• Occupation: Attorney and  municipal judge for the city.

• Organizations:  Coquille Valley Elks, Oregon State Bar, Coquille Rotary, Oregon Whitewater Association, Coquille Soccer Club.

• Top concern: “The way that the city of Coquille is perceived by its citizens  and ... by the state.” He said city government needs to work hard to make it citizens feel good about where they live again.

• Experience: Muenchrath said going to law school taught him to analyze an argument. He also studied land use and administrative law, which helped him understand how local governments operate.

• Role of a city councilor: “As a city councilor, I’m a representative at large and a steward of public funds. It’s the people’s and they need to be reassured often that it is being spent in the way they want.”

• Goals for the city: He wants to see store fronts filled with businesses, more community policing, good communication with citizens, more buyers for the old G-P mill site and more community events.

Dian Courtright

• How long in Coquille? Almost 30 years

• Occupation: Self-employed

• Organizations:  Operation Coquille Board, Rural Organizing Project Board, and Concerned Citizens of Coquille.

• Top concern: “That it continues to grow and be viable and make it through the tough economic times that are coming.”

She wants to see developments and businesses come to town that will keep money in the community.

• Experience: Courtright said she didn’t understand what was being asked, but said: “Just being around people a lot.”

• Role of a city councilor: Courtright said the council’s job is oversee city government and make sure to know all that is happening in the community. 

“Doing what you can to make the city a great place to live.”

• Goals for the city: “Like everyone else, I’m really interested in the G-P site ... getting that going in a way that will benefit us in the long-run.”

Courtright said another reachable goal was fostering more community involvement in city matters.

Nikole Graham

• How long in Coquille? Almost 10 years

• Occupation: Dispatcher for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management

• Organizations:  Girl Scouts of America, Red Cross blood drive coordinator, city Budget Committee.

• Top concern: “Getting young people involved in the city.”

• Experience: Her time working with the Girl Scouts of America and the group’s focus on giving back to the community would help her in serving Coquille’s citizens.

• Role of a city councilor: to be upstanding members of the community and role models.

• Goals for the city: Graham wants to see more successful businesses put down roots in Coquille.

“I want to see the population grow, and schools grow.”