Congrats to Greg and Theresa;
Theresa Stehly is the best choice to succeed Staggers in the At Large seat on the City Council.
The fact that Stehly has allied with Staggers on several high-profile issues doesn’t alone justify this choice. Stehly rises above the two other candidates – John Paulson and Ritch Noble – because of her knowledge of city issues. The benefit of her activism over the years, whether on the Drake Springs Pool or boulevard gardens or snow gates, is that she built a working knowledge of the details of local government.
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We recommend Greg Neitzert as the best candidate in the Northwest District.
In addition to volunteering for the zoning panel, Neitzert was deeply involved in the debate over the rewriting of city zoning regulations, the Shape Places ordinance. In that role, he became one of the most knowledgeable people in the city on issues of growth and development, what smart planning should look like, and how our city should look and feel in the coming decades.
He is the most prepared in this field to step in to help set the path for the City Council and the city.
And ALMOST endorses Steele and Starr;
Selberg’s opponent, Manny Steele, is a former state legislator with a long history in state government. This experience doesn’t always translate to local politics, however. Steele is an earnest public servant who brings and appropriate level of skepticism to any debate.
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It really comes to a pick between Pat Starr and Tamara Enalls-Fenner. In this case, a Northeast District voter would be well served by either of the top candidates. But that’s not how voting works.
Starr, a marketing and advertising professional, has a good suggestion regarding the planned parking ramp on the site of the failed Banks shared use project. Starr suggests holding off building the ramp and moving on to other worthwhile projects around the city to allow time for more ambitious ideas for a key piece of downtown property. It’s a useful suggestion that demonstrates his practical approach.