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STAY UP TO DATE ON THE CAMPAIGN
MEET GABE
Gabriel Elijio Velásquez has called the city of Tigard home for his entire life. As an active member of Tigard’s Town Center Advisory Commission since 2023, and chair of Tigard’s Town Center Advisory Commission since 2024. Gabriel remains a steadfast advocate for tackling the problems and concerns that the residents of Tigard value. His dedication to prioritizing safety, prosperity, and affordability for all people of Tigard make him the ideal candidate for his community.
MEET GABE
GABRIEL'S BACKGROUND
Gabriel is a graduate of Templeton Elementary School, Twality Middle School, and Tigard High School, he then went on to intern in the state legislature with Senator Lee Beyer, joined the team that flipped Oregon's last republican controlled state wide seat, interned again this time for then Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner and then graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor's of science in political science and a minor in business administration.
Since then he has been a Field Director, a Campaign Manager, a Legislative Staffer, a Lobbyist, a Political Strategist, a Finance Aide, and a Campaign Fundraising Associate for various political offices, campaigns, and progressive causes all throughout Oregon.
Now, Gabriel has returned to working in the healthcare field but still continues to do everything he can to advocate for the best possible Tigard to come to fruition though his experience on various boards, commissions and task forces.
GABRIEL'S EXPERIENCE
Tigard Town Center
Advisory Commission
Chair Since 2024
Tax Increment Financing
Grant Review Board
Tigard Safe Streets Task Force
Gabriel with TCAC & TTAC in 2025 having a tour of the newly completed Dartmouth Crossing North facility
ENDORSEMENTS
LOCAL LEADERS ENDORSE GABRIEL
" I had the pleasure of working with Gabriel to both vastly improve and increase the housing supply within Tigard's two TIF districts. I trust him to do the same for Tigard as a whole"
- Tom Murphy, Keep Tigard Safe Leadership Team
" Gabriel will shape a city council that work for all where progress isn't just a promise but a commitment to improve all citizen's life"
- Sascha Newell, Teacher & Business Owner
GABRIEL HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY
PRIORITIES
GABRIEL'S PRIORITIES
Here are the policies I hope to enact both in the short term and long term for Tigard.
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HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
As a lifelong resident, I have seen firsthand how skyrocketing housing costs have outpaced wages and squeezed local families out of our community. My platform attacks this crisis with a balanced strategy, deploying short-term market protections alongside long-term structural reforms. By immediately prioritizing local buyers and boosting dense housing supply, we clear the path for generational homeownership frameworks and comprehensive, accessible neighborhood design.
Short Term
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Restrict corporations for the first 2 years a house is on the market to give local families the first opportunity to buy.
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Utilizing market forces to drive down the cost of housing in Tigard by focusing on building denser housing options that are missing in Tigard where nearby infrastructure can support it.
Long Term
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Establish a Rent-to-Own (Lease-to-Own) Developer Incentive and Inclusionary Framework to bridge the steep gap between renting and traditional homeownership.
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Adopt Tigard HOME's framework to deliver accessible housing, economic growth, and entertainment for all residents.
Anchor 1
Anchor 2
PUBLIC SAFETY
A thriving community requires an absolute foundation of safety, balancing immediate neighborhood protection with visionary investments for Tigard's future. My platform bridges this gap by delivering immediate operational fixes to lower response times and optimize taxpayer dollars right now. By pairing these urgent upgrades with long-term structural changes to housing stability and secure street design, we will build a city where every resident feels protected.
Short Term
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Find an alternative plan for a new public safety building that in the long run will save us money overtime by storing all of Tigard's collected evidence in-house.
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Protect our investments in public works by finding shelter for our utilities from the harsh weather making our investments road safety stretch further.
Long Term
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Expand navigation centers and transitional micro-housing with on-site healthcare, addiction recovery, and job training so no one is on our streets at night.
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Create a comprehensive, city-wide network of protected bike lanes and continuous sidewalks to permanently eliminate traffic-related injuries and fatalities across Tigard.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
During times of economic uncertainty, Tigard cannot afford to sit back; we must proactively leverage underutilized city resources to protect our local economy. By modernizing our funding frameworks for proven businesses, utilizing community data to de-risk new investments, and creatively activating commercial spaces in underserved areas, we can build a resilient city that grows even during a downturn. To achieve this, my platform focuses on strategic, low-cost initiatives designed to revitalize vacant storefronts and ensure every neighborhood in Tigard thrives.
Short Term
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Expand Tigard's TIF Grant Review Board for long term established businesses that are expanding services to use the underutilized TIF Grant funds.
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Poll residents and frequent visitors on wanted businesses and share that market data with incoming entrepreneurs to de-risk investments and fill vacant storefronts
Long Term
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Create a program for business friendly 3rd spaces in Tigard's food deserts.
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Streamline zoning to turn underutilized parking lots into vibrant hubs for food carts and micro-retail, while offering fast-tracked permitting for permanent, brick-and-mortar infill development on those spaces.
Anchor 3
Anchor 4
KEEPING TIGARD GREEN
Every resident in Tigard deserves to live in a healthy, vibrant neighborhood. To achieve this, my platform delivers immediate, practical solutions like bringing nature directly to our doorsteps through neighborhood greening and mobilizing hands-on volunteer community care to restore our cherished trails. But long-term vitality requires a broader vision. By pairing these local restoration efforts with smart business incentives that protect our watersheds and integrating shaded, resilient spaces into our city's future growth plans, we will safeguard our environment from all angles. Together, we can build a green, thriving city we are all proud to call home.
Short Term
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Scale up the city's urban forestry program to plant free native trees for homeowners, targeting neighborhoods with the lowest canopy cover with our new developments.
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Partner with local environmental groups to launch volunteer-led programs that clean debris, clear invasive species, and restore our beautiful trails.
Long Term
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Offer fast-tracked permits or stormwater fee discounts for businesses installing green roofs or permeable pavements to protect our watershed.
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Partner with local coalitions to establish strict urban canopy targets, protecting tree groves and cooling neighborhoods in future master plans.
IN THE PRESS
RESPECTFUL & ACTIVE LEADERSHIP
Tigard deserves thoughtful, practical leadership that listens openly, stays accountable, and brings people together around real solutions. My platform bridges this gap by introducing immediate operational fixes to lower barriers for working families and distinct language communities to shape council decisions. By pairing these urgent updates with a hyper-local neighborhood spending tracker and expanded roles for our community advisory boards, we will build a more collaborative, transparent local government that genuinely works for all of Tigard.
Short Term
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I will be active in the community throughout this campaign and beyond, pledging to meet residents where they are to hear exactly what you want Tigard to do for you.
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Expand flexible, multi-language testimony options so working families and diverse communities can easily shape council decisions.
Long Term
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Expand our community boards to see what areas of local government can assist the general public with.
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Create an Online Neighborhood Resource Tracker to provide real-time updates on district-specific project spending, street repairs, and local grant allocations.
Anchor 5
IN THE PRESS
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