For the week of  October 24 - 30, 2001

Mayoral candidates outline agendas

Ketchum’s pizza and politics 
night draws crowd

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Candidates in the most contested Ketchum mayoral race of the past 30 years addressed a wide range of topics Oct. 17 at the Idaho Mountain Express’ annual political forum.

Idaho Mountain Express Publisher Pam Morris, left, and Ketchum mayoral candidate Janet Dunbar share a laugh during the newspaper’s Ketchum political forum Oct. 17. Express photo by Willy Cook

A crowd of Ketchum voters and valley residents packed City Hall, with people sitting on the floor and standing in the back of the room to listen to what candidates for the Nov. 6 election had to say.

"If this room is indicative of the number of people who are going to vote, I think we’re going to have the largest voter turnout in 20 years," said incumbent Mayor David Hutchinson, who was appointed to the position in September.

Hutchinson, Ketchum attorney Ed Simon, newspaper delivery contractor Mickey Garcia, recent college graduate Chase Hamilton, and Ketchum business owner Janet Dunbar are challenging each other for the mayor’s office.

Mayoral candidates Mickey Garcia, Chase Hamilton, David Hutchinson and Ed Simon entertain a question. Express photo by Willy Cook

The five candidates covered a range of topics that included affordable housing, leadership styles, the Warm Springs Golf Course, parking and traffic. Several contributed timely jokes to the otherwise serious forum.

Targeting what they believe to be Hutchinson’s conflicts of interest as a Realtor and developer, several mayoral challengers made clear they don’t owe anyone anything.

"I don’t believe anyone with a conflict of interest with real estate and development should be making these decisions," Dunbar said. "I have no conflict of interest."

Hutchinson, however, countered by saying he doesn’t owe anyone anything, either.

"Believe it or not, I’ve lived here for 23 years, and although I’m in the real estate business, I’ve done my very best to let my public and my private life be separate. In eight years (as a councilman), I’ve done one project as a consultant. I recused. There are not conflicts if you recuse."

Simon said he believes the appearance of a conflict of interest to be as damaging as an actual conflict "because it diminishes the public trust."

Dunbar, further entrenching herself as a candidate for the people, reiterated that she will seek voter approval of all major city decisions.

"Anything that affects you directly—your taxes, your voting rights—should be put out to a referendum," she said.

Hamilton, on the other hand, said a mayor "needs to listen to the people, but at the same time needs to be an authority and a leader, and can’t get run over by a few vocal minorities that are attempting to get what they want just because they’re the loudest."

Hutchinson said he is a proven leader at Ketchum City Hall, and his style would be "aggressive, yet inclusionary."

For his part, Simon said he does not wish to dominate the city council.

"I’m looking forward to anyone who’s elected at this table to try to coalesce a consensus to try and get things done," he said.

Garcia said of his potential mayoral style that he is not afraid of people who are smarter than him.

"I understand how to manage people, and I understand how to manage the city," he said.

Most mayoral challengers also said they would work to reinstate Ketchum’s former election regulations, which the city council changed on a 3 to 1 vote last spring.

"Da-da-da-DAH-da-da. Campaign promise!" Garcia announced. "If elected, I will put it back the way it was."

This is the first year Ketchum is conducting its city council election on a per-seat basis. Previously, the two candidates winning the most votes won.

Hutchinson, who voted for and championed the new system, said last week that he still believes the council made the right decision.

Dunbar said she would put the issue out to referendum. Simon agreed with Garcia and said he would return the way the city conducts its elections to the at-large system.

All candidates said they want to see more affordable housing in Ketchum, though they differed on the methods to achieve it and where it should be.

"The Fields (development in Warm Springs) was a success, but it’s too expensive to apply to most people," Garcia said.

Hamilton said affordably priced housing is necessary but not appropriate in downtown Ketchum, and Simon suggested the city begin looking at more of its land to offer as incentives for developers to build more affordable housing.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.