For many Camas residents, the mayor is a familiar figure at local events or during elections, but the everyday responsibilities of the position are often less understood. While the title does involve some ceremonial duties, the mayor of Camas also plays a vital role in guiding long-term planning, overseeing city operations, and representing the city.

The current mayor of Camas is Steve Hogan. He was first elected in 2021 and then reelected when he ran as the incumbent in 2023. According to Hogan, the mayor’s primary responsibility is ensuring that Camas functions smoothly for residents.

“The mayor makes sure that all departments are working to maintain and continuously support the services we have to our citizens,” Hogan said. 

These services include public safety, infrastructure, utilities, parks, and administrative operations that residents rely on daily.

Hogan’s role is part of a system of shared authority. Hogan explained that the mayor and city administrator oversee city staff and operations, while the city council is responsible for legislative and financial decisions.

“The Camas City Council makes decisions to approve expenditures by the administration,” Hogan said. “They also create policies and approve or remove laws for the city of Camas.”

The process of creating new policies or projects is collaborative. Ideas are introduced by city staff or administration. This could include new services, infrastructure improvements, policy changes, and more. They are then reviewed by the city council. The mayor is legally required to run city council meetings and oversee the administration. This separation of powers ensures that decisions are made through a system of checks and balances.

Hogan added that a common misconception is that the mayor directly manages all city employees. 

“No one person usually gives commands to the roughly 270 employees who work day and night to keep the city services working,” Hogan said.

Instead, each department’s head — such as the fire chief, police chief, finance director, parks and recreation director, library director, and others — handle the everyday operations of their division. The mayor typically focuses on broader priorities instead.

“Mayors should be paying close attention to the strategically most important facets of the city business,” Hogan said.

These priorities include managing legal and financial issues, responding and overseeing the application of new state and federal mandates, and working to recruit and support businesses in Camas. The mayor is also responsible for representing the city beyond its borders and strengthening communication.

For students, understanding the mayor’s role is one part of grasping how the local government affects their lives. 

“Students are future voters,” CHS junior Sanika Ali said.

Other students believe it is necessary to consider the youth population in decisions made by the city government due to their presence in the community.

“Kids are the future of Camas,” CHS junior Olive Gilbert said. “They make up a big part of the city and it’s important to maintain their connection to the community by paying attention to them in the legislature.”

Gilbert also said that learning about the mayor’s role makes local issues easier to contextualize.

“Learning what the mayor actually does helps me understand where decisions are coming from,” Gilbert said.