Three candidates vie for open council slot
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 10:37 AM PDT
Ontario — The Ontario City Council interviewed two of three candidates vying for a vacant slot on the elected board last week.
Council members talked to Ontario residents Joseph Garner and Norm Crume Thursday during a special work session, while a third candidate, Ron Verini, will be interviewed Wednesday.
All three men seek an appointment to former City Councilman Jim Mosier’s position. Mosier stepped down in June, citing family reasons.
Garner told the council he applied for the open position because he wanted to send a message to his students.
“I can’t tell my kids to get involved then not get involved,” he said. “I thought about it and decided to put my money where my mouth is.”
Garner currently serves as chairman of the Malheur County Library Board, but said he did not know much about the inner workings of city government.
However, he said, he would learn more about those inner workings if selected to be a council member.
Garner also spoke about his previous experience as a council member in Huntington.
“I worked with putting together a budget,” he said. “Which is fun when there’s too much money at the end of the month.”
As for Ontario’s expenses, Garner offered a solution.
“I don’t know if this is going to help or hurt me, but I’m a proponent of the 1 percent sales tax,” he said.
Council member John Gaskill, who said he ran for city council as a teacher in the 1980s, asked Garner if he felt his employment with the Ontario School District would cause a conflict with issues that come up.
“When I’m at work, I’m an employee of the school district,” Garner said.
He also said he would be able to keep his opinions separate from issues at hand.
“I’m going to have my own opinions,” he said. “I’m a human being. But a well-educated person looks at both sides of the issues.”
As for Ontario’s issues, Garner spoke about the importance of being “economically viable.”
He then said West Park Plaza has undergone a revamp but now sits empty except for a few stores.
“I will help any way I can on that,” he said.
He also said the city and schools should work together to build a new high school and middle school.
“When you have to unplug the microwave in the teacher’s lounge to teach a computer class, there is a problem,” he said.
The council then heard from Crume, owner of Norm’s Auto Electric in Ontario.
“I was born and raised in Ontario,” he said. “I went to high school here.”
Crume then spoke about his time on the compensation and revenue committee asserting that he learned a great deal about how city government operates after getting involved.
“What I thought and what it is are two different things,” he said.
Councilwoman Susann Mills then asked Crume about Ontario’s economic health and what he believed the future holds for Ontario’s economy.
“I think it’s in pretty poor shape,” he said.
He also spoke about the lack of businesses in the West Park Plaza Mall, asserting there should be some sort of incentive to situate to that part of the city. He said this change would help alleviate the congestion on the east side of Ontario.
He said another way the council could promote growth is to decrease the amount of “kinks, red tape and problems” businesses may encounter when trying to move to Ontario.
“Have more flexibility in the rules and regulations,” he said. “In general terms, just be as open-minded as we can be.”
He also spoke against the sales tax, asserting the lack of a sales tax has made Ontario more attractive to businesses.
“I think we have the businesses we do because we don’t have a sales tax,” he said.
Gaskill then said Crume was well-known for his activism and asked how he would be able to be at least receptive to issues that conflict with those views.
Crume said he has become more mature in his viewpoints.
He also said he has changed his mind on some topics after listening to other viewpoints, such as the opinions for his second and third choice for city manager.
He then said he felt he would be a good choice for the position because he knows a majority of the council member.
“I look forward to working with you and making Ontario a better place to live,” he said. “And we can do it.”
These two interviews do not represent the end of the process.
Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence said there is still one more person left to interview — Ronald Verini, who has been a resident of Ontario for four years, and said he is active in the Chamber of Commerce.
His interview is slated for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in council chambers.
