Only two incumbents, Mayor Len Holzinger and City Councilor Jack Patterson, are seeking re-election in this year’s race for Grants Pass City Council. With the retirements of Donna Jean Wendle, Jeff Hyde and Jocelyn Richardson, three of the city’s four wards have open seats. Each ward elects one of two council positions every two years to a four-year term, so that half are up for election in every even-numbered year.

Unlike in some cities in the region that have trouble attracting candidates for what can be a demanding and thankless job, there are a dozen seekers here for a total of five positions including that of Mayor. Some are relatively new to the scene; others have been visible and outspoken critics of city government for quite a while. Here’s a review of who’s vying for what.

Mayor

Incumbent Len Holzinger is seeking a third term in office. A retired studio photographer, Holzinger says he is running for re-election as Mayor to continue protecting and defending the rights of Grants Pass citizens. He says eight years in the office of Mayor have given him experience, knowledge and the ability to be able to make the tough calls. He calls for strict adherence to, and also an update of, the city’s charter. Holzinger lines up with council candidates Rob Pell, Richard Michelon, Ward Warren and Mark Townes in prioritizing the people’s will over that of city staff in council decision-making.

Challenger Ed Bowers says he is “totally independent and pro-active.” He believes in growth and creating a business-friendly environment at City Hall. For example, he would reduce fees to compete better with other cities. Bowers and his loyal wife Jan have been actively campaigning for weeks at the Grower’s Market, greeting shoppers. He’s also got an aggressive signage program around town.

The third challenger for Mayor is former City Councilor Mike Murphy. Murphy was well liked by his peers and constituents during his previous term on the council, which he gave up when the dissonance began a few years back. Recently retired from his job as teacher and print media advisor at Grants Pass High School, Murphy is ready to tackle the now even more divided city council with renewed energy and determination. Murphy says, “Instead of facilitating a smooth group process and emphasizing the value of compromise and consensus, the mayor is actively driving wedges between factions and different points of view. The council is made up of good people who sincerely want to do what is right by the community, but they do not understand how to work as a group. They don’t know how to fight fair, agree to disagree, or value compromise and cooperation. That expectation and a tone of respect for the process need to be set by the mayor. It is also the mayor’s job to listen and communicate a vision for the future that is as clear and inclusive as possible.”

City Council Ward 1

Roy Lindsay, a retired computer specialist and budget manager, has thrown himself into local public and nonprofit activities for many years. He’s been Chair of the Sheriff’s Advisory Council, President of the Symphony, and a member of the JoCo Long Term Funding Task Force. He is ready to tackle a term on the council, emphasizing he believes in honesty, integrity and respect in guiding decisions.

Opponent Rob Pell, owner of Sunshine Natural Foods, has been an outspoken critic of the city in recent years. He and fellow hopefuls Warren and Michelon believe that trust between the public and City Hall has been broken. Pell asserts that city staff has “demonstrated ethical breaches and lapses” as well as falling into “bureaucratic paralysis that destroys voter/taxpayer confidence.” Pell calls for mandatory annual performance audits of all city operations, something which is estimated to cost a half million dollars.

City Council Ward 2

Jack Patterson, an executive with Qwest Communications, is also running for a third term on the council. He says passing the public safety levies is a top priority. We were unable to reach Patterson to interview for this article.

Challenger Mark Townes would like to see the City Council take a stronger leadership role in running city services, and believes city government should be more transparent. In today’s financial climate, he says, we should also be more fiscally responsible. Townes is dubious about both public safety levies – county jail operations and city patrols and fire. He says the former should have been offset by county payments money should it arrive, and the city’s public safety levy should have remained level instead of increasing.

City Council Ward 3

Ron Schutz is a retired Department of Transportation supervisor who’s also had facilitator training, which he feels makes him qualified to take on peers in the city council. He says there’s too much fighting and not enough focus on city business. He’s also a critic of the city’s large parcel acquisitions and the “Taj Mahal” fire stations.

Richard Michelon believes that as a retired CPA and 6-year budget committee member, he could be helpful in setting goals for the budget in open meetings. He wants to examine fee structures and address escalating growth in the city’s budget. He is against the city’s public safety levy, though he favors the Sheriff’s District 1 levy to support the jail.

Gary Berlant works as a Public Defender and like Murphy, is a former council member. He served for 8 years on the city planning commission followed by a 4-year term on the council, and is now back on the planning commission. He thinks he can “help the council get back to a productive, positive, enjoyable working body, that acts with the best interests of the whole community in mind.” He attributes the poor communication between council and staff to the openly conflicting directives coming from disparate voices on the council. He thinks a lot of the problems could be solved if the council spoke as one voice.

City Council Ward 4

Andy Margeson’s campaign theme is “We deserve better.’ He holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy with a concentration in economics from Princeton University and is currently a business consultant. Margeson has been active in local parks development as a member of Grants Pass Rotary and a volunteer on various committees. He says he’s appalled by the dysfunctionality among council members, staff and the public. Margeson wants to promote more open-mindedness and end divisiveness, emphasizing good decorum, respect for others’ opinions and a willingness to accept the outcomes of voting in a democratic process.

Ward Warren, owner of Blue Moon Antiques on Sixth Street, has been a long-time downtown activist who takes credit for many of the better aspects of recent downtown development, such as the Back to the Fifties celebration and the smooth handling of the Sixth/Seventh Street resurfacing projects. He’s also a highly vocal critic of City Hall. Says Warren, “I don’t believe that city officials are listening to the people. Instead, I believe we have a city staff-driven system whereby they run the show and they aren’t even elected, therefore not accountable. City officials need to respect the right of the citizens to vote on major projects like the River District Plan. They also need to tighten the belt of city government instead of continually squeezing the people.”

A recently formed citizen’s group calling itself Positive Community Action has endorsed Murphy, Lindsay, Patterson, Margeson and Berlant. PCA is led by civic activists Fred Borngasser, Bill Thorp and Barbara Bean, among others. -Julie Rubenstein