Experience Integrity Responsibility Accountability
Elect Steve Ferrell
Cowlitz County Commissioner
District 2 (R)
Maintain Infrastructure
Protect Private Property Rights
Foster a Climate of Safety, Prosperity, and Growth
My name is Steve Ferrell, and I'm proud to call Cowlitz County my home. I was born here, and I've lived here my entire life. I attended school in Longview, Toutle Lake, and Castle Rock. I had a paper route and I swept floors, stocked shelves, and packed lumber for our family business, Ferrell Lumber Company. My roots give me a deep understanding of the challenges we face in our community.
I worked at Longview Fibre for 36 years. I was hired in 1973 as a laborer, I moved into the mechanics, and became a Journeyman Electrician. In 1993, I was promoted to an Electrical / Instrumentation Supervisory position. The mill went through some restructuring and we went down to five supervisors, then to three, then down to two. I was one of the remaining two. My co-worker and I were responsible for the entire mill. I served in that capacity until I retired in 2008.
I was active in the union. In 1990, over 1500 AWPPW Local 153 hourly employees elected me as the chairman of their bargaining board. My co-workers knew me, they knew me well, and I was truly honored to represent them and their interests. When those who know you and believe in you ask you enough to represent them, there is no higher honor to me.
I helped write the Longview Fibre Company’s emergency evacuation and mill shutdown plan in the mid-1990s.
I served as a PUD Commissioner from 1983 - 1988. You may remember the WPPSS (Whoops) nuclear power plant debacle. It became one of the largest municipal bond defaults in U.S. history. As the county chair of the local coalition, I led the charge against the exorbitant overruns and abuses of our local PUD customers. A year later, in 1982, I was recruited and elected as a PUD Commissioner. We built coalitions, and we stopped the runaway projects. Our efforts saved PUD ratepayers billions of dollars. We oversaw a 100-million-dollar yearly budget.
My active participation at the County Commissioner meetings over the last three years has given me a solid understanding of the county’s budgeting process and the current and complicated issues that I will have to address for our community.
Please vote for me, Steve Ferrell, I will work collaboratively and diligently to solve problems while watching your tax dollars to ensure they are spent thoughtfully, wisely, and responsibly.
