At least one new person is certain to be elected to the Visalia City Council on Nov. 3, when three seats on the five-member council will be up for grabs.
Two incumbents -- Jesus Gamboa and Greg Collins -- face eight challengers, including one write-in. Incumbent Don Landers isn't seeking re-election.
Council members are elected at-large, not by district, and the three top vote-getters win seats.
Gamboa, 56, is seeking a fourth four-year term.
Sales and property tax revenues declines are hurting city coffers, but he vowed to save the fire and police departments from cuts.
"It's a top priority -- always has been, always will be," Gamboa said.
The city has seen major improvements on his watch, including new stores on north Dinuba Boulevard, a sports park, two police substations, a fire station and a rebuilt minor league ballpark, and now Macy's is coming, he said.
Collins, 59, was elected four years ago, but also served on the council from 1975 to 1991.
He said his years of experience give him expertise in "budgets and treatment plants and revitalizing neighborhoods."
Foreclosures, homelessness, unemployment and falling tax revenues are a "perfect storm," Collins said, but he opposes dipping too deeply into cash reserves to balance the city budget.
"It's like being lost in the woods," Collins said. "Do you eat all of your candy bar the first day, or do you break it into thirds and eat one third?"
Challenger Mike Lane, 40, a member of the Visalia Unified School District board, ran unsuccessfully for the council two years ago. This year, he decided not to run again for the school board but instead to make a second attempt at winning a council seat. By mid-September Lane had raised $24,000, much of it from business interests, and more than any other candidate.
Lane said he's willing to dip into reserves, especially money set aside for a new civic center, to balance the city budget.
"It's really important to maintain public safety," Lane said. "When the economy is down, you see a spike in property crime."
Lane said his years on the school board give him experience because Visalia Unified has "a larger budget and more employees" than the city.
Challenger Warren Gubler, 52, a lawyer, said the city must cut spending, and he promised "no new fees, no new taxes."
"Let's exercise some discipline," Gubler said.
Candidate Steve Nelsen, 60, a fruit broker, called for "a new direction for the city. We've had some incumbents who have been on the council a long time."
Nelsen entered the race in the wake of an uproar this summer when thousands of Visalians, including himself, learned they would have to buy flood insurance.
The city "didn't do its homework," he said, causing the new flood maps to be drawn when they didn't need to be.
Furthermore, "the city has an image of not being pro-business," Nelsen said. If Visalia were seen as more business-friendly, more jobs would come to town, he said.
Candidate Paul Fry, 65, general manager of the Visalia Fox Theatre, said he believes the city has been misspending money. The city wants to build a new animal shelter, but "it can't find any money for it because they spent it on the baseball stadium" remodeling project, he said.
Candidate Mary Wheeler, 55, a community volunteer who ran for council two years ago, said she would advocate for more low-income housing and work to reduce gang violence. She said she "loves people" and Visalia, and she wants every segment of the community to have a voice on the council.
"I want to listen to everyone," Wheeler said.
Write-in candidate Robert Naugle, 31, said he believes his experience of owning a retail store, selling real estate and managing a tax office would be beneficial to the council.
"I think it would be good for Visalia to have a young, fresh perspective," he said.
He said his philosophy of being self-reliant and "doing with less" is how city government should be run. "I think it's good to get fresh people in office," Naugle said. "Sometimes people who have served one or two terms may get a bit complacent."
Candidates Dominic Prado, a 29-year-old student, and Andrew Miller, 27, an elected director of the Visalia Memorial District, could not be reached to comment.
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@