Asson, Holzman, Weed for city council

All six candidates for Sisters City Council - David Asson, Jerry Bogart, Wendy Holzman, Virginia Lindsey, Jacki Shepardson and Sharlene Weed - are to be commended for stepping forward to serve when that service means hard work, long volunteer hours and, increasingly, harsh criticism from peers and public.

A city council functions best when it contains a range of viewpoints, backgrounds and temperaments. To that end, The Nugget endorses David Asson, Sharlene Weed, and Wendy Holzman for city council.

We do not always agree with Sharlene Weed on matters of policy, but we do support her adamant insistence on good process. The current council has too often lost sight of the fact that, in an open society, how government conducts itself is as important as what it actually does. Weed is to be commended for her willingness to stand alone and fight on principle.

The challenge for Weed will be whether she can overcome the palpable anger and frustration she feels toward certain fellow councilors in order to do the work of the city. If she wants to be mayor as she stated in last week's forum, she must resist her tendency to slip into self-righteousness and demonstrate an ability to lead proactively as well as to put a restraining hand on her peers.

Wendy Holzman has demonstrated her ability to connect with disparate parts of the Sisters community and has shown a willingness to engage in the nuts-and-bolts and give-and-take of crafting policy. As a councilor, Holzman will have to demonstrate an ability to turn her desire to revitalize the downtown core into concrete and effective action.

Though a relative newcomer to Sisters government, David Asson brings financial expertise that will benefit the council and the city. While his views on economic development issues tend to track with those of the current council majority, he is much more attuned to the need for careful and appropriate council conduct of city affairs. If he is willing to continue to assert himself, he will serve as a valuable balancing fulcrum for a council that could easily divide into unproductive factionalism.

Sisters' economic health is by far the issue of greatest concern in this campaign - even though city government has a circumscribed role and limited capacity to affect the local economy.

Each of these candidates was critical of the process by which the city hired an economic development manager. We share many of the concerns they raised regarding that process. There are legitimate questions to be asked and answered, but the time for standing off and throwing rocks will soon be past. It is in the best interest of the city and its citizens that the effort to promote economic vitality succeed. It is time for the factions to find common ground and shape this project in a manner that offers the best chance for the taxpayers' investment to pay off.

We believe that electing Asson, Holzman and Weed will create a council better able to work together through the many challenges facing the city over the next two to four years.

Jim Cornelius, Editor

Kiki Dolson, Publisher