The race for mayor of Ketchum offers voters five distinct personalities, some of whom have been at loggerheads, all of whom represent a slice of the city's character.
Incumbent Mayor Ed Simon will face off against four challengers in the election Tuesday, Nov. 8: frequent local government critic Mickey Garcia, former Ketchum City Councilman Maurice Charlat, Ketchum resident Dan Stein and City Council President Randy Hall.
Hall's challenge comes approximately a year after a civil lawsuit was filed against him by the city for allegedly violating state conflict-of-interest laws. Simon and City Attorney Ben Worst questioned whether Hall could hold two paid positions at City Hall—as an employee of the Ketchum Fire Department and as City Council president. Hall contended that the suit was an unnecessary attack directed by the mayor's office.
Hall later switched to volunteer status with the Fire Department, making the city's complaint moot. The city finally dropped its lawsuit and agreed to pay most of Hall's legal fees.
Simon said at the time that the result was neither a loss nor a victory for anyone.
Neither Simon nor Hall has during this campaign focused on the flap that ensnared them and the council for months.
Following is a review of the candidates, as well as their comments on two questions:
· What is the first change you would make once taking office?
· What are your plans for the city-owned parcel of land adjacent to Giacobbi Square that was swapped for another piece of land on Main Street?
Mickey Garcia
This race marks Mickey Garcia's second run for mayor of Ketchum. In 2001 he was among a field of four candidates who lost to Simon. Garcia also ran unsuccessfully for a Ketchum City Council seat in 2003.
Garcia frequently attends council and planning meetings throughout the county, and he often is the lone person to offer public comment on decisions made by local governing entities.
First change
If elected, the first thing Garcia would do is work to increase affordable housing.
"I would start working toward a linkage ordinance," he said. "We'd have to tell the Planning and Zoning Commission ... to produce a housing ordinance we could run though the council."
The city's hiring policies would also come under quick review, he said.
"Any new position or opening would have to go through a public hearing process to say, 'Your government is getting bigger. This is why,'" he said.
City-owned property
The idea of a town square with a park, a Chamber of Commerce building and underground parking is appealing to him, but there would likely have to be a deal to secure more land.
Funding mechanisms need to be in place at the initial stages, he said.
"If it's going to become a town center, someone's going to have to tell me how we're going to pay for it."
Randy Hall
Hall served three years as a Ketchum Planning & Zoning commissioner and has been on the Ketchum City Council since 1997. He has been council president for the last four of those years.
He is a board member of Ketchum Area Rapid Transit and chairman of the Wood River Regional Transportation Committee, and was the traffic and emergency services director for the Dalai Lama Organizing Committee.
First change
Hall's first priority would be to reopen the budget. "The phantom revenue streams need to be removed and we need to re-evaluate the addition of several new employees, which is diverting much needed funding away from our capital improvement plan and our downtown revitalization plan. It is all about our quality of life."
City-owned property
Hall believes the community needs a central gathering place. "The newly acquired property across from Atkinsons' offers us that opportunity," he said. "I also believe we should acquire the southern contiguous lots and consider vacating a portion of East Avenue to have enough land to accomplish this goal. This could also be a good location for the Chamber visitors' center."
Maurice Charlat
Charlat is a retired food industry executive. Although this is his first run for mayor, he served a four-year term on the City Council between 2000 and 2004. He announced his candidacy for re-election, but dropped out of the race shortly before Election Day.
"I dropped out last time because I was getting nothing done, nor was the council," he said. "I wasn't getting any kind of psychic or emotional reward. I felt I could operate better as an independent (citizen)."
He said this time there will be no last-minute changes.
"This is a different job and focuses on things I know how to do," he said. "I'm a good management executive and leader and the mayor's job fits my talents."
First change
Charlat's first act in office would be to review all priorities set by city staff and the City Council to ensure that both bodies are in agreement with their objectives, and he would make sure that budgeted funds are appropriately allocated.
"You've got a big budget," he said. "The key issue is to make sure everybody is working on the same page. You can't wake up six months later and say, 'Why don't we have money for this?'"
City-owned property
Charlat's hope for the property across from Giacobbi Square is that it be a town square. New buildings, such as a visitor's center and public restrooms, would be surrounded by a park-like setting. The area would ideally serve as a gathering place for events and markets.
Underground parking could be paid for by a public-private partnership with adjacent Mountain West Bank. He also would explore the idea of charging for parking.
Dan Stein
Stein is a multi-media artist and restaurant worker who is making his foray into local politics. His approach to local government focuses heavily on including voices that aren't often heard. He questions the efficacy of the current system, and once offered to remove himself from office if elected.
Stein last month hosted a mud-slinging party wherein he and incumbent Ed Simon allowed themselves to be pelted with real mud. Stein's party was an effort to highlight how dirty politics can be, but that it can also bring people together.
First change
"I would not make an instant change," he said. "I would change the process the city government has been utilizing to implement policy. Change needs to come by gathering better support and information from a broad spectrum of citizens that make up this community. Only then will we be able to implement positive and progressive policies."
Stein wants to use the idea of a salon to gather together the myriad demographics that make up the city's residents.
"Salons and focus groups will incorporate all the different ... points of view that might be divergent, and try to find consensus," he said.
City-owned property
Stein said he doesn't agree with the land trade that resulted in the city's ownership of the property next to Giacobbi Square, but he would use it for the purpose for which he says it was intended.
"The land was meant for a town square," he said. "We need to move forward with that concept."
He would like the city and the public to encourage Atkinsons' Market to move to the building formerly occupied by William's Market on Main Street, then level that block to incorporate it into a town square.
"Atkinsons' is an important part of our community," he said. "But people need to drive to grocery stores. A pedestrian-friendly area (there) is limited by the juxtaposition of Atkinsons'."
The pedestrian mall concept Stein supports extends from Fifth Street to Sun Valley Road, and Main Street to East Avenue.
Stein also offered comments on an Idaho Mountain Express article that quoted him as saying people move to Ketchum for "drugs and fun."
"I feel that quote was taken out of context," he said. "It was stated with sarcasm to emphasize that we do not want fun and drugs to be the focus of what keeps young professionals here. In fact, drugs are a significant problem in this community. Being able to create dialogue about this problem and speak openly is a start to creating a cure. I believe that creating opportunities for 20- and 30-year-olds to meaningfully invest in the community is an important component of that cure."
Ed Simon
Simon is running for his second term. He was elected in 2001 with 49 percent of the vote, soundly defeating four contenders.
His political career was not always certain. In 1992, after 10 months as a Ketchum City Councilman, he and two other council members were recalled following a failed attempt to have former Police Chief Cal Nevaland fired. Simon was defeated for a City Council seat in 1995, but won back political office in the 2001 race for mayor.
First changes
"Instead of talking change, I'm thinking about carrying through on changes already implemented," he said. That includes the capital improvement plan, which he said should be paid for through development impact fees.
As part of that, Simon wants to quickly get under way discussions regarding a rezone of the city's core, perhaps forming two zones.
"The (proposed) CC-1 will require retail on the first floor space or on the majority of the first floor," he said. "That's to protect properties on Main Street and Sun Valley Road. I would move forward with the moratorium so we don't prolong it unnecessarily. I'll give rapid consideration of zoning changes. You've got to finish what you've started before you start other tasks."
City-owned property
"My vision of that has focused on creating a community gathering space, underground parking and creating a pedestrian mall on Fourth and Leadville," he said. "It was always my sense that property was traded to protect it from development and maintain open space."
Underground parking expenses could be defrayed by forming a public-private partnership with Mountain West Bank or Giacobbi Square.
"We have an obligation to make up for lost parking spaces," he said.
