About the Candidate
Meet Brent DeHart
Brent and his wife Linda have lived in Independence since 2018 where they built a house and now tend a 130 tree fruit orchard. They donate the fruit to Food Share. He previously spent 27 years in Salem where he served his community in many ways. He has been a small business owner since 1991, and has served as the President of his state-wide trade association, and also for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce . Brent and Linda raised two boys who are now adults.
Brent DeHart
Candidate for Independence City Council
Education
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
University of California, Berkeley
His Story
Previous Volunteer and Government Service.
Brent DeHart is not new to public service. He was elected to non-partisan Salem City Council and served 4 years. He knows public budgeting, public resources, and- an important topic in Independence- Urban Renewal.
Brent has broad community involvement- He has served on the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council, the Special Courts Advisory Committee to the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, and in Salem the Parks Board, the Citizens Traffic Advisory Committee, and the Ethics Committee. He was on the first Budget Advisory Team in Salem-Keizer Schools.
Brent has volunteered in various leadership roles at his Lutheran Church, and spent 12 years coaching Little League. He has served as MC for Salem Health events, non-profit fund-raisers, and the Olympic Torch Relay event.
Brent is running for Independence City Council because he believes this community deserves a representative who has done the work, knows the system, and will always put the majority of citizens first.
Public Service Record
Experience That Matters
Salem City Councilor
Elected local government service
MC Public Safety Coordinating Council
Marion County public safety policy
Special Courts Advisory Committee
Advisory to the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Parks and Recreation Board
Parks funding and community green space
Citizens Traffic Advisory Committee
Transportation and infrastructure policy
Ethics Commission
Government accountability and conduct
S-K Schools Budget Advisory Team
Salem-Keizer school district fiscal oversight
What Drives Him
Three Principles. Every Vote.
Accountability
Every decision Brent makes on the council will be one he can explain clearly to any citizen who asks. No backroom deals. No favors. Just honest reasoning.
Majority First
Policy should serve the most people, not the most organized. Brent will weigh every vote against one question: is this good for the majority of Independence residents?
Fiscal Stewardship
Public money is a public trust. Brent will treat every dollar of city revenue with the same care he would give his own — because it is yours, not the government's.
Want to know where Brent stands on the issues?
Read the full platform — three clear commitments, no fine print.