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Ashland council candidates differ in approach By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � Two candidates vying for a seat on the City Council both say they�ll work to preserve the city�s small-town ambiance, but their experience and approach set them apart. Cate Hartzell, 44, directs a non-profit networking organization and sits on the city�s Budget Committee. Her activist approach to the council seat focuses on adopting policies and programs that will achieve community goals. Chris Hearn, 39, is a land-use attorney and member of the city�s Planning Commission. He offers a judicial approach to city government that centers on weighing all sides of an issue and "balanced" decision-making. Hartzell and Hearn are competing for seat No. 3, one of three council spots up for grabs in the Nov. 7 election. Steve Hauck, who�s held the seat for eight years, is not seeking re-election. Hartzell waged an unsuccessful late-stage write-in campaign against Cameron Hanson in 1998; Hearn has never run for elected office. Hartzell, an Ashland resident for 16 years, says she�s running because she can offer the City Council a wide range of civic experience. "I have a breadth of understanding that gives insight into a lot of different areas in our community," Hartzell says. Hartzell is coordinator of the Community Learning Center, a regional nonprofit networking organization in Ashland. She�s a chamber member and has served on the city�s Budget Committee since 1994. Hartzell has held positions on various committees, including the Citizens Communication Commission, the Ashland Fiber Network Steering Committee and the Ashland Watershed Partnership. "What distinguishes me from my opponent is initiative," Hartzell says. "This isn�t new for me. I have gotten involved in my community and have made things happen." Hearn, who�s lived eight years in Ashland, says community involvement isn�t new for him, either. A member of the Lithia Springs Rotary club, Hearn has served five years on the Ashland Planning Commission. He was on the board of Southern Oregon Head Start from 1994 to 1996. "I�m somebody who comes to meetings on time and prepared," Hearn says. "I don�t show up late, ask tough questions just to shake things up and leave early." Hearn, who has 12 years� experience practicing public law, is a partner in the Ashland law firm Davis, Gilstrap, Hearn, Saladoff & Smith. He plans to draw from his planning and land-use experience to help manage a slow-growth strategy that will maintain Ashland�s small-town charm. "I don�t come in with a stacked agenda," Hearn says. "I do have an agenda about slow growth." Hartzell also says directed growth is important, but says her plans for the council "go further" than Hearn�s. Hartzell�s priorities include adopting programs and policies that encourage social and economic diversity and help reduce the risk of fire and erosion in the Ashland watershed. Hartzell says she supports organizing neighborhoods to help residents build community and work together to address problems that affect their streets. "The kind of leadership I can provide is the ability to bring people together," Hartzell says. Hearn says his leadership style will help the council members work toward consensus decisions. He emphasizes his ability to keep an open mind and find solutions that balance competing interests as one of his strongest traits. Fairness, Hearn says, has earned him broad-based community support. "I�ve got people I�ve sued (for clients) who have my campaign signs in their yards right now," he says. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.