LAKEPORT – Six candidates have stepped up to run for three open seats on the Lakeport City Council in the Nov. 4 election. Following is background information about each candidate, and each person”s responses to questions about current issues in the city. The candidates include two incumbents and four challengers.
Virginia “Ginger” Ingersoll is a retired businesswoman with a law degree. She moved to Lake County with her family in 1977. In response to an e-mail containing the questions asked of each candidate, Ingersoll sent fliers that did not address each issue.
Suzanne Lyons is a retired teacher and small business owner who has lived in Lakeport for 19 years. She said she is running to make the council”s decision-making process more transparent to the public.
Incumbent Roy Parmentier is a retired businessman. He has served a total of 16 years on the city council. He was originally elected in 1988 and took a four-year break in 2000.
He said he is running because he wants to see the outcome of projects in the works that include a new fire station in Lakeport, the downtown revitalization plan and annexation of a portion of South Main Street.
Incumbent Robert Rumfelt is a retired deputy sheriff and educator, and currently teaches at Mendocino Community College. He holds a bachelor”s degree in criminal justice and a master”s degree in public administration. Rumfelt has served 12 years on the city council.
He said he is running for re-election because he wants to see current projects through to completion, such as the downtown revitalization and work on the city”s streets.
Marc Chalon Spillman is serving his second four-year term on the Lakeport Planning Commission. The council appointed him to the commission in May 2004. He said he is running because given time and patience, he can work with the council, city staff and citizens to make smart decisions. Spillman additionally said while he appreciates current Mayor Buzz Bruns” endorsement, he will not accept endorsements from groups or organizations, or campaign contributions.
George Spurr is a computer analyst for the County of Lake and has lived in Lakeport for six years. He said he is running for Lakeport City Council because he wants to be more a part of the community in which he lives.
Each candidate was sent a list of four questions about the city”s financial state, the recent use of Measure I money to balance the city”s budget, redevelopment and what they might do differently if elected. Their responses follow.
Financial state of Lakeport
Each of the six candidates agreed that the city needs to get its budget balanced. In her fliers, Ingersoll said, “I know that the city council must create a balanced budget that is structurally sound and addresses funding needs for infrastructure, and never use one-time revenues for ongoing expenses.”
Lyons criticized the city”s use of a $400,000 line of credit to bolster the city”s general fund. She said she is meeting with the city”s finance director to ask several questions about the budget, including, “Why with a balance of Measure I funds of $614,174 in 2006-07 was only $36,619 spent on road projects?”
Lyons continued, “In times like these the city needs to differentiate between what we need and what we want and pay for the necessities first.” Parmentier said the current financial problems the city is facing are fixable.
“We”ve been able to save some money over the last year. If you look at the balance this time last year, it was pretty bleak. Right now, we”re in the black. I”m sure there are a few things we need to do to stay that way all year,” Parmentier said.
Rumfelt said, “We just passed a balanced budget that is really lean. This year the staff and council spent at least 30 hours working on this budget so we could pass a balanced budget and not have to have a reduction in force.”
Spillman said he believes government should be run like a business, and should not operate in the red.
“Lakeport needs to become financially healthy. To become healthy can be uncomfortable and difficult in the short run. It is not sound policy to run a city by borrowing to pay operating expenses, salaries and benefits,” Spillman said.
Spurr said that while he only knows what he has read in the newspaper about the city”s budget, “I think basically we need to know where the money is going to start with and get the deficit taken care of.”
Should Measure I money be used to keep the city”s general fund in the black?
Measure I is a half-cent tax approved by voters for road maintenance and expansion of city facilities and services. Approximately $423,000 of the money was used in the city”s 2008-09 budget to give the city a $160,000 positive balance at the end of the year, a measure City Manager Jerry Gillham said would mean no layoffs would be necessary.
Ingersoll”s fliers did not address the use of Measure I money.
Lyons said when she attended the city”s budget hearings in July, she did not get a copy of the breakdown of Measure I spending requested by Councilman Jim Irwin, so she was unable to ask informed questions.
“I”m concerned that we are using some phantom figures that may never materialize and padding our balances with those funds while risking money that is actual locally collected tax money. We need to be careful with taxpayers” money,” Lyons said.
Parmentier said while the city”s newly adopted budget allows for the use of Measure I funds, it has not been used yet.
He added, “If I have my way, it won”t be touched. Ninety percent of it was supposed to go for streets. They can use if for what they”re using it for, legally, but that”s not why it was passed.”
Rumfelt said, “Throughout the budget meetings I said if it is necessary to use Measure I monies to keep the budget in the black, then that”s what we should do, knowing not all the Measure I money would be needed.”
Spillman said he was against the use of Measure I money to balance the city”s budget, acknowledging that he did not know what other options were available to the council. He said he would spearhead the formation of a road advisory committee to review priorities and watchdog road funds.
“Government needs to flex to fix the budget available – much the way business has to do. It should be required that the money pulled from that road pocket in the general fund be replaced,” Spillman said.
Spurr said he needs to educate himself about the problems facing the city, and plans to attend city council meetings between now and election time. “If the people voted the money in for a certain thing, that”s where the money should go, rather than being used to make us look good for the time being. Then you”re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Spurr said.
Role of redevelopment in the City of Lakeport
Former Lakeport Community Development Director Richard Knoll was recently appointed as the city”s redevelopment director as the city gears up to redevelop blighted areas in the city from Clearlake Avenue to Lakeport Boulevard and from the shoreline to Highway 29.
Ingersoll”s fliers did not specifically address redevelopment, but said city government should “preserve and enhance the environment and promote responsible use of our lakefront properties, protect and enhance our water resources by better management and doing repairs as needed, attract and maintain successful business to ensure jobs and revenue for our city, maintain and promote our parks and pool, and maintain and develop our bike paths.”
Lyons said after reading the city”s redevelopment plan, she had a lot of questions, including her concern that selling shoreline property to developers would block the view of the lake. She also expressed concern about a single city department having the power of eminent domain.
“In the first goal listed, ”correction of deficiencies,” such as unsafe buildings, is a concern. So why are we spending all of our energy and money on developing a marina and hotel that many Lakeportians don”t support instead of finding ways to help rehabilitate our fabulous, real, vintage downtown structures?” Lyons said.
Parmentier said redevelopment is a tool the city needs to use.
“Redevelopment is going to be the catalyst that redoes our downtown, gets our infrastructure up to where it is supposed to be and brings new business into town,” Parmentier said.
Rumfelt said, “Redevelopment has been staffed and is ready to move forward with projects such as downtown revitalization and they are prepared to work with developers on other projects as they arise.”
Spillman said he is still meeting with council members individually to get perspective on redevelopment. He expressed concern about the city exercising eminent domain, calling the process “a very powerful club.” Spillman said how the council uses it now could be different from how a future council uses it.
He continued, “My first concern is the process through which a developer gains first rights to a parcel. Eminent domain is just a little scary. There is concern when underutilized becomes blighted. It”s always been my opinion that when you own a property – you own that property.”
Spurr said he needed to learn more about redevelopment and hear both sides of the issue to come up with a solution.
What should be done differently in city government? What should remain the same?
Ingersoll”s fliers did not address what, if anything, she would do differently if she were elected. In the fliers, she said, “As your city council member I will help you create the city you want. The most important place in the world is where you are. I will listen to your concerns.”
Lyons said, “Our city government needs to be open and responsive to the citizens it should represent. Council meetings should be informative. They should be televised. When citizens ask a question or make a suggestion in a meeting they should be treated with respect. Their input should be valued.”
Lyons added that the council should use local talent, and suggested that the Trowel and Trellis and Master Gardeners work with school children and citizen volunteers “to make smaller scale plantings that don”t dwarf human beings” at Lakeport”s Museum Park on Main Street. Parmentier said there wasn”t anything he would do differently, and said the city is headed in a positive direction.
“These are exciting times for me, because I can see new businesses and homes in Lakeport – it”s not going to happen tomorrow, but it”s going to be there,” Parmentier said.
Rumfelt said he would not do anything differently, and said he is pleased with the progress the city has made since he”s been on the council.
“The pool is repaired and operational, the streets are being worked on, we finished the water treatment plant upgrade and we have a business plan.” Spillman did not identify anything he would do differently if elected, but said the biggest issues the city will face in the next few years are roads and the budget.
“To give perfect black and white answers is a very simple thing. Pointing fingers when you are not in the hot seat is a very simple thing to do. Lakeport will need a council that works together on future issues and not be divided and hostile due to finger-pointing,” Spillman said.
Spurr said while he needs to educate himself about any change needed in the city government, he has heard concerns that the city needs to do more for foster children inside city limits.
Editor”s Note: Next week, the Record-Bee will update the District 1 Supervisor race between Suzanne LaFaver and James Comstock.
