Newcomers to city challenge two longtime Fowler council incumbents

Published online on Thursday, Sep. 28, 2006

Originally published in The Fresno Bee and on FresnoBee.com on September 26, 2006.

Fowler residents have two tough decisions on the Nov. 7 ballot -- elect two people to the City Council and vote whether to continue to tax themselves to generate revenue for police and fire services.

Mayor Jim Simonian and Council Member David Cardenas are seeking re-election. They are being challenged by city planning commissioners Craig Mellon and Daniel T. Parra.

All four candidates express a desire to serve a community that has made a successful comeback from the brink of bankruptcy and now finds itself trying to save its small-town appeal.

Fowler, with a population of 4,855, is the second-smallest city in Fresno County, according to the state Department of Finance. San Joaquin has the lowest population, with 3,746.

It is a desirable place to live because the city has its own police department, a low crime rate and is off Highway 99 and six miles south of Fresno.

The election is important, City Manager David Elias said, because residents want to maintain a low growth rate, yet they also want good city services.

But without growth, there are fewer sales and property taxes to pay for those services, Elias said. That is why the utility tax measure is on the ballot again.

"It could mean the survival of our community," he said.

The user tax was initially approved by voters seven years ago. The ballot measure taxes users of natural gas, electric and telephone services. It generates $200,000 to $250,000 a year for police and fire capital improvements, Elias said.

The utility tax and city leadership go hand in hand, Elias said, because residents demand trust.

For years, Fowler was scarred by the closure of Vineyard Casino in 1997. Banking on casino taxes, the city borrowed money to fund redevelopment projects. Instead of creating tax revenue, the casino fell into debt and closed nearly 10 years ago, putting Fowler at the brink of bankruptcy, Elias said.

Since that failed experiment, the city has slowly become solvent with money in the bank, Simonian and Cardenas said.

Council members are paid a monthly stipend of $150; the mayor gets $200 a month. Once the election is certified, the council will elect the mayor.

Simonian and Cardenas say residents have a difficult decision because the challengers also are public-minded. "They are like us. They want to do something good for Fowler," Cardenas said.

Mellon and Parra express similar feelings for Simonian and Cardenas, saying they have done a good job. The challengers, however, believe it is time for a change on the council.

Simonian, 62, co-owner of a local fruit packing company, has been on the council for 12 years, including four as mayor. He said he would like to do one more term to follow through on some projects, including sprucing up downtown and adding a new hotel and city park.

"There have been some rough years, but we have been able to get things done because we are a unified council," he said.

Simonian said the current council has protected the city's small-town image. The city also is prepared for the future with high-quality water and sewer systems that can accommodate growth.

Cardenas, 52, owner of a local automotive repair shop, said he, too, wants to serve another term because the community has been good to him and his family. He has been on the council about 5 1/2 years.

He said his and Simonian's council experience should give them an edge over the challengers. "I have knowledge to better understand the issues. I also know the process, the role of a council member," he said.

Parra, 41, is a supervisor for a government contractor at the Lemoore Naval Air Station. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and is working on a master's degree in public administration. It is his first time running for the City Council.

Parra said he wants the city to grow, but at a steady, controlled pace. "I do not want to rush into projects without studying the infrastructure of our city to ensure that we can accommodate growth," he said.

Parra said he worries about the city's main street, where stores have closed because absentee landowners charge high rents.

"I will do a better job of protecting what we have," he said.

Mellon, 40, owner of a local T-shirt and entertainment company, also said protecting small-business owners will be a priority. Mellon said he worries about the city having no local ambulance nor plans to fund police and fire improvements if the utility tax measure fails.

The city also should spend more money on parks and recreation, he said.

Mellon ran unsuccessfully for Fowler City Council two years ago but lost by fewer than 200 votes.

While Simonian, Cardenas and Parra are longtime residents of Fowler, Mellon has lived in the city only six years. He believes his outsider image helps him because he won't be beholden to anyone.

"I'm willing to make tough decisions for the good of the city," he said.

The reporter can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6434.