Since veteran Hailey Councilman Rick Davis announced his candidacy last month, it appeared that he might win the mayoral election uncontested. That is, until Erin Dunn threw his hat into the ring at the last minute.
Dunn, born and raised in Hailey, announced just before the declaration deadline on Friday, Sept, 7, that he would seek the office of mayor in November's general election.
"I didn't want to see it given away," he said during a recent interview.
If he is elected, it would be the 28-year-old Edge Wireless account executive's first foray into city government.
Dunn said that while his lack of experience in city government will be seen by some as a shortcoming, he's confident that his age and connection to the community will allow him to bring a fresh perspective to the position.
"The word I keep hearing on the street is that the current government is disjointed from the community," Dunn said. "I think my inexperience presents a challenge, but doesn't affect my ability to do the job. The office of mayor is about representing the people and I will have great support from experienced staff and council."
For Dunn, the job would include making sure the city has devised proper plans for long-term growth and proactively protecting the city's heritage, rather than simply reacting as different situations are presented, he said.
In addition, Dunn said other priorities include implementing a system of "true" workforce housing—housing that is actually affordable to local workers. He admitted that's a difficult task, because it has to skirt the line between affordable and low-income housing. Like many valley residents, Dunn works two jobs, putting in part-time at the Sun Valley Brewery, and said he understands the difficult situation faced by many of the employees who would like to remain in Hailey, but can't afford to buy a house.
With that in mind, one of Dunn's major objectives would be to involve younger generations in the city's political process. He said this feat could be facilitated by the fact that there are a number of department head positions vacant, such as those in the police and public works departments, which the are the mayor's responsibility to fill.
Despite running against a seasoned councilman, Dunn expressed optimism at his chances come November, counting on a word-of-mouth campaign to bolster voter support.
"My gut feeling is that I have a really good shot at this election," he said.
Hailey mayoral candidate Erin Dunn, 28, hopes to get younger generations of residents involved in the city?s governmental process if elected this November. Dunn said one of his major reasons for running was to make sure that the office didn?t go uncontested in the upcoming election.
Express photo by Jon Duval
