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Crume, Sullivan and Fugate gain City Council seats

By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 11:01 AM PST

Ontario — Norm Crume, David Sullivan and Charlotte Fugate emerged with victories Tuesday night in the race for three open Ontario City Council seats.

Results, as of midnight, list Crume with 1,878 votes, Fugate with 1,788 votes and Sullivan with 1,750 votes. Incumbent John Gaskill received 1,664 votes, and Incumbent Lewie Allen secured 1,153 votes.

“I guess I would just like to thank everybody and say that I’ll work as hard as I can,” Crume said Tuesday night from a victory party at Kanpai’s, a restaurant owned by fellow winner Sullivan.

Sullivan said he was “happy” with the results.

“It was really close,” he said. “It’s just nice to get to work on the next step.”


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Ontario City Councilman Lewie Allen said he plans to continue to serve on committees, such as the Snake River Transit Committee and the Malheur Council on Aging. Throughout his campaign, Allen expressed support for the transit service because he said it appealed to both the younger and older members of Ontario.

“There’s lot of committees a person can get on that can help a lot,” he said. “You don’t have to sit on the council to help the city.”

Throughout their campaigns, candidates mentioned their connections to the city of Ontario. Sullivan previously served on the City Council from 1995 to 1998 and also has eight years of experience serving on the Treasure Valley Community College board of directors. He has also owned his own business for 13 years. He was raised in Ontario and graduated from Ontario High School. Sullivan also unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1996.

Crume has owned his business for 20 years and was one of three candidates who applied for Jim Mosier’s vacated council position on the elected board in June.

Fugate co-owns a bed and breakfast in Ontario and has served on the Ontario Budget Committee for three budget cycles. Fugate has also served for six years as director of the Four Rivers Cultural Center and retired about four years ago.

Allen went to high school in Vale and earned his two-year degree from Treasure Valley Community College before working for Ore-Ida. He is currently finishing his first term with the council.

Gaskill has lived in Ontario for 41 years. Gaskill was nominated to serve on the City Council after LeRoy Cammack vacated his council seat to become mayor in 2000. Gaskill was elected later that year and re-elected in 2004.

Both Sullivan and Crume have campaigned against the proposed 1 percent sales tax, with Charlotte Fugate asserting the council should look at all the ideas presented by the revenue committee.

In a phone interview Tuesday night, Sullivan expressed support for all the candidates in the close race.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone that ran,” he said.

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Comment Blog - Note: All Comments Subject To Approval

Were Behind You wrote on Nov 9, 2008 9:42 AM:

" Congrats Char. Give em hell. They need a "whip" Without you, the community is DOOMED! "

sensei wrote on Nov 8, 2008 12:07 PM:

" What part of "Shoppers Flock to Oregon" don't you writers get.......we are and will contiune to "Shop" Ontario....Your 1% tax isn't going to deter that. All that money slipping thru your fingers. If the situation was revearsed, I doubt it would be a hard sell, with all that outside money in the coffers......less for me to pay!!! "

Michael Allen wrote on Nov 7, 2008 7:21 PM:

" Do any of you have a clue of what's going on in the world? Just because we live in a seemingly safe part of the world, doesn't mean we're isolated from some very scary and real global problems.
The cities and states are just now coming to grips with the decline in tax revenues. Government spending (and much is from state and local government) accounts for 44% of national income.

We are not only not near the end of misery but, if the G-20 that meet later this month were to call for a new financial system with a new global currency, the dollar will not only fall but, much of our standard of living.

If the dollar falls, it will be a loss of health care, power, government service, welfare, education cuts, etc. that will hit us all.

We could have power outages that spoils the food stocked in freezers, or have homes without heat in northern states. The loss of value to the dollar will end up meaning hospitals have to close and clinics and anything funded by government will suffer.

So, be very concerned at what comes out of the meeting later this month. It is to the point where the world is no longer listening to the U.S. It is to the point where the world is starting to "tell" the U.S. what it must do.
If just one currency domino falls, the dollar will be at a huge risk of total collapse. How the world manages this crisis will impact us more than they because it is the U.S. that has the currency the world is using.
If we had any real local leaders they would start planning for the worst. But, I wouldn't wait for any government to make plans to protect me and my family. In the end, its only you who truly cares for your loved ones and only you who can protect them. "

ICON wrote on Nov 6, 2008 6:00 PM:

" It will never happen with Sloppy Joe and Nutty Norm. Never EVER! ( Sales Tax ) "

to sales tax supp wrote on Nov 6, 2008 2:45 PM:

" If you were to actually read the article that the business man refered you to, then maybe you could get a better grasp of the situation. The city of Ontario hasn't grown for the past couple of decades, yet the city government wants excess money to do whatever with. As far as you stating policing, etc.., we need to re-evaluate some of the spending by the city. "

to sales tax supporter wrote on Nov 6, 2008 2:41 PM:

" 1% this year, 3% next year and so on. We just need to cut the fat, just like every american that has it rough. The city has maintained thus far without a sales tax, don't pull one over on the people of ontario like that. "

HRL wrote on Nov 6, 2008 7:37 AM:

" Ok, here's and idea. Let's not implement the sales tax so that the business won't be affected. Instead, let's just implement a 1% gross receipts tax on the business itself. Then the consumers won't be taxed but all of the out of town business will still support the infrastructure. The business owners should have a problem with this. It still supplies their services and does not scare away their customers. It may hurt their bottom line but probably not since they will just raise their prices by 1% to compensate, which no one will really notice because it is still 5% less than prices across the river. And, Ontario residents won't have to barbecue their sacred cow. Everybody wins. Come on Joe. Get 'er done! "

Sales Tax Supporter wrote on Nov 5, 2008 8:11 PM:

" All Mr. Ontario businessman has to do is count his money. Policing, filling pot holes, and providing fire service, hey let somebody else worry about that. Ahhhhh, life is great. "

Ontario businessman wrote on Nov 5, 2008 3:13 PM:

" I would like all the elected officials to please take a look at an article in mondays Idaho statesman; titled-IDAHO SHOPPERS FLOCK TO OREGON BORDER TOWN.
Written by Richard Cockle (Oregonian)
This might shed a little light about a sales tax issue that will sure be raised shortly. No to city sales tax. "

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