Several of Ketchum's candidates for public office are taking offense to a statement made by Councilman Larry Helzel at last week's City Council meeting when he said the political hopefuls need to do "some homework." He also said citizens must fact-check "bald-faced lies" uttered by candidates.
The matter is further addressed in an opinion piece by Helzel and fellow Councilmen Charles Conn and Curtis Kemp—none of whom are up for re-election—that said "electoral wannabees (are) propounding the story that Ketchum is fiscally mismanaged, drowning in debt and broke." The guest opinion is in this edition of the Mountain Express.
The allegations seem to be particularly directed at mayoral candidate Phyllis Shafran and council candidate Lee Chubb, who have repeatedly addressed the $5.56 million debt accrued by Ketchum's Urban Renewal Agency. Chubb has called the debt "a disaster."
In an e-mail, Chubb said he had not seen the opinion piece but found Helzel's critiquing remarks from last week "appalling." He also said Helzel owes the candidates and Ketchum "an unconditional apology for his behavior."
Other candidates running for mayor or council said they were upset by Helzel's words of advice, which didn't apply to all the candidates, just to the non-incumbents who haven't run before.
"Except for Mayor Randy Hall, Councilman Baird Gourlay and (mayoral candidate) Mickey Garcia—and I presume Ed Simon, who didn't attend Pizza and Politics," Helzel said in his statement to the council, "I'm not convinced that the other candidates really understand what are the powers of elected officials, and what they are not."
Helzel's comments were in relation to the Pizza and Politics forum the week prior at which six of the seven council candidates and all three mayoral candidates discussed their platforms in front of more than 100 citizens at City Hall. He said candidates have made claims of action "that suggested powers that not even our governor has."
Shafran acknowledged that candidates may not know all the specific duties of the positions they're running for, and asked how they could be expected to.
"He (Helzel) probably knew nothing when he ran two years ago," she said.
Council candidates Peter Lewis and Nina Jonas also pointed out the "learning curve" for the newcomers.
"I'm pretty much a blank slate," Jonas said. "It's expected we wouldn't know."
She added that Helzel isn't helping his cause by "antagonizing" the candidates. At least one of the people he's pointing the finger at will be sitting next to him at the table, she said.
Two council seats are open, with only one incumbent—Gourlay—seeking re-election, meaning that at least one of the six challengers will fill a seat.
"I don't know why he's setting up a negative environment for someone to walk into," Jonas said.
But incumbent Gourlay said Helzel isn't asking too much of the candidates, even though some are political newcomers. They should be coming to council meetings and Planning and Zoning meetings all the time, he said.
"A few here come, but not on a regular basis," Gourlay said.
Mayoral candidate Garcia said he was excluded from Helzel's finger-pointing because he "constantly" goes to city and county meetings.
"Going to meetings, you learn exactly what city government is about and learn what can and cannot be done," he said.
Garcia referred to his platform of cutting the mayor's salary from about $36,000 to $17,000, that of council members. He agreed with Helzel that some of the candidates "don't have a clue" as to where their powers would end.
Lewis said this election has an unusual amount of interest, with a total of 10 candidates, and Helzel's remarks only discourage people.
"Why would anyone kick sand in the face of that much interest in a small town like this?" Lewis asked.
Shafran said the city and council should encourage people to run for office and not "put them down." She also contended that Helzel wasn't trying to give advice but was voicing his support for the incumbents.
"He's basically getting up and saying, 'I'm for Randy and Baird,'" she said, later adding that a council meeting isn't the place for that.
Gourlay disagreed, saying Helzel was speaking out of concern that whoever "sits next to him is knowledgeable."
Helzel also said, in an interview, that he wasn't backing the incumbents. He said he was just offering advice to candidates who come into office "with stars in their eyes," not realizing that one council member can't just push his or her good ideas through. He said state laws restrain the city. He referred to Lewis' platform of streamlining the permitting process for developers and Chubb's plan for a performing arts center in the middle of town, which he said are unrealistic.
Gourlay also said Lewis' plan of streamlining the permitting process may be a good idea, but the council must follow steps for public hearings, meetings and notices set forth in the state's Land Use Planning Act. One council member can't change that, he said.
Helzel said candidates need to "lose the I" and remember the work of public officials is "community" and "collaborative" work, "the work of we." And to get anything done requires a hundred steps.
"Every step of the way, the local minority questions the strategy," he said. "They can stall things and stall things until all the wind's out of the sails."
Simon, council candidate and former Ketchum mayor, said he understands Helzel's frustration and doesn't think Helzel meant to be "condescending." But that's how it's being taken, he said.
Simon used to sit behind the same table at City Hall and acknowledges that some of the candidates don't understand the limitations of local government. But Helzel shouldn't have made that statement, he said.
"The only thing I'd say to Larry is that politics in Ketchum is a full-contact sport," Simon said. "And falsehoods are part of the political game. I sat at that table for four years and know it can get frustrating. But you have to sit there politely even when frustration builds."
Garcia disagrees. He said that candidates, as in any election, take advantage of anger in the community and make things up.
"I try not to do it, but that's the process in the U.S. of A," Garcia said. "He (Helzel) should be able to fight back and say this criticism is phony."
Council candidate Jan Hegewald declined to comment on Helzel's statement, and council candidate Carter Ramsay was out of town and couldn't be reached.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
