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Polk County interviews Susan Graham for planning commission; candidate stresses following state law and balancing farmland protection with measured growth
Summary
The Polk County Board of Commissioners interviewed Susan Graham on Dec. 2, 2025, for a planning commission vacancy. Graham, a retired tax attorney and community volunteer, emphasized following state land-use law, preserving farmland and forestland, and improving public communication; the board made no appointment at the meeting.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners interviewed Susan Graham for a seat on the county planning commission at its Dec. 2, 2025, meeting. Graham, a planning commission candidate who lives at 6270 Corvallis Road in Independence, said she moved to the area in 2014, retired in 2022 and previously worked as a tax attorney for Ernst & Young in California and Oregon.
Graham framed her approach around legal compliance and community engagement. “As long as we’re following the law and giving people their opportunity to be involved in the process, I think we’ve done our job,” she told commissioners during the question-and-answer session. She said that understanding statutes, administrative rules and the limits of county authority matters more than trying to impose rapid policy changes.
Why it matters: The planning…
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