No reelection bid
Longtime Ontario City Councilman elects not to run for another term on board

KATIE PIZZA | ARGUS OBSERVER Ontario City Councilman Dan Cummings highlights a plaque hanging in his engineering firm’s office. The plaque was given to him by the city, commemorating his work as chairman of Ontario’s public works committee. Cummings left the position in 2004 to become a city councilman. At the end of this year, Cummings will be leaving his position to dedicate more time to his family and business.

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His family also played a part in his decision, Cummings said, as did the opinions of community members.

“People seemed like they want a change,” he said. “I figure, let them have a change. A lot of people have threatened to do write-ins.”

Ontario Mayor Joe Dominick said he “totally understand(s) his reasons” for not running for reelection. Dominick said Cummings had put in a lot of volunteer hours for the city.

Ontario City Councilman Lewie Allen said the loss of Cummings will be a blow to the elected board.

“I feel we’re losing a very good asset to the community,” Allen said. “He’s very updated on just about everything.”

Allen said he believed Cummings is an asset to the council because of his knowledge about the city’s laws and ordinances.

“He’s very knowledgeable,” he said.

Dominick also lauded Cummings’ experience.

“I told him I will still use him as a resource,” Dominick said Monday in a phone interview.

Dominick credited Cummings for his work on the System Development Charges ordinance. SDCs are one-time fees paid by developments to cover the costs associated with building capitol facilities to accommodate growth. The two system development charges resolutions, one of which contained a fee schedule, were passed by the City Council earlier this month.

“That (SDC) would have to be the big one,” Cummings said Monday of what he believed was his most important contribution as a councilmember.

Allen said he believed Cummings’ work on the SDCs was one of the “smaller things” that contributed to him being a great councilmember.

“It’s everything rolled up into one,” he said. “He’s just the best.”

Cummings said he “was hoping that we’d (the council) get a good handle” on the city’s current revenue issues, but said he believed it could be done before he leaves office in December.

“It could be if we get going on it,” he said.

Cummings, who has lived in Ontario since attending Treasure Valley Community College in 1974, said he first eyed the local political arena when community members said he should get involved because of his knowledge of city planning.

“I’ve never considered myself a politician,” he said. Cummings first stepped onto the political stage in 2000, when he served on the public works committee. He became the chairman of the committee in 2003 and was honored by the city with a plaque for his service in 2004, after he left the chair position to become a city councilman. Cummings said he might “throw his hat into the ring” and serve on the public works committee again if there is an opening for him.

“I’ve always been real active in the city,” he said.

Cummings said he still plans to attend council meetings and to help out city staff where he can. Currently, five names are slated to fill three council seats.

 with terms beginning in January.

David Sullivan, Charlotte Fugate and Norm Crume are each vying for a spot on the council, with current councilmembers John Gaskill and Lewie Allen running for re-election.