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In Ashland, council seats unresolved By DAVID PRESZLER ASHLAND -- David Fine held a slight edge over Bob Taber Tuesday in early returns in a contentious City Council race. Fine got 53.9 percent to Taber's 46.1 percent of the votes that had been counted by 11:30 p.m. "It's far too early to say anything," said Fine, an attorney. "It's not possible to draw any conclusions." Taber remained confident despite the early deficit. In fact, he said he expects to win handily. "I still think I'm going to win the race," he said. "I still believe that it will be a much wider spread than it is. "I saw a lot of grass-roots support out there. I just felt and still feel it is going to be close." The outcome was even more unclear in the other contested Ashland City Council race, for the Position 4 seat left empty by the Sept. 21 death of Ken Hagen. Cameron Hanson, a 41-year-old insurance agent whose campaign has centered on Y2K issues and balance on the council, was the only candidate on the ballot and got 626 of the 1,653 votes cast. A serious challenge is expected from Cate Hartzell, who spent nearly $2,400 on a write-in campaign launched after Hagen's death. Hartzell, 42, has focused on many of the issues Hagen championed, including alternative transportation and watershed protection. The relatively low number of votes cast for Hanson bodes well for Hartzell, but write-in ballots aren't likely to be counted before next week. Both candidates were hesitant to speculate on the large number of blank ballots. "My vote won't be counted until after Friday," Hartzell said. "We remain cautiously optimistic. We can't know how to interpret that unknown." "When there's only one name on the ballot quite often people pass right by it and say, `He doesn't need my vote,"' Hanson said. Fine, 47, has centered his campaign on developing a long-term economic plan for the city and has vowed to represent business interests on the council. Taber, a 67-year-old licensed massage technician, has focused on ways to encourage lasting businesses and on curbing the city's dependence on automobiles. But the issues have been overshadowed by controversy in the Fine-Taber race. Taber incorrectly listed his occupation as "physiotherapist" on his candidate filing, prompting Fine to call for him to back out. A review by the state elections division found that Taber did not intentionally lie on the form. In council Position 2, unopposed incumbent Susan Reid was elected to a fifth term. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA