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Slow-growth faction takes lead Central Point voters want change in city hall By DAVID PRESZLER CENTRAL POINT -- Fears about rapid growth here may have sparked dramatic changes at city hall. Led by mayoral hopeful Bill Walton, candidates in favor of more controlled growth held solid leads in early election returns Tuesday night. Walton had 60 percent of the vote to incumbent Rusty McGrath's 40 percent. Of the 1,234 ballots counted as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Walton had 672 votes to McGrath's 449. In the Ward 1 city council race, Donna Higginbotham -- another controlled-growth advocate -- was leading with 103 votes to David Martin's 45 and incumbent Barry Fronek's 41. In Ward 3, Dr. David Gilmour had 58 votes, while incumbent Mae McDowell had 23, John LeGros 17 and Earl Mix 16. "In a way, it was a referendum on whether or not we should keep going in the way we have in the last couple of years," said Gilmour, 50. He said people wanted "more rational, planned growth" and felt that the quality of life in Central Point was deteriorating. If the early results hold, Walton said people should expect a more forward-thinking city government. "The new city council is going to spend more time projecting into the future and analyzing problems before they evolve," he said. "The city is changing so much. There's so much that has to be addressed." Despite the early returns, McGrath remained confident, noting that he has gotten more than 3,000 votes in past elections and that many ballots had yet to be counted. "I've been here a long time," said McGrath, who is seeking a third term. "Talking to people, they seemed to be happy with what's going on around here. We'll have to see." The mayoral race centered on the growth issue, specifically on whether the city should charge fees on new development to pay for roads and parks. McGrath, 53, feared that such fees could drive away growth and pointed to a need for more economic development. Walton, 64, the current city council president, countered that Central Point is growing so fast that more money is needed to pay for infrastructure. He wants some of that money to come from system development charges levied against developers on new construction. Walton grew up in Medford before spending 28 years teaching chemistry in California. He retired to Central Point in 1995 and was elected to the council the next year. McGrath, who owns McGrath Racing & ATV, served six years on the city council before being elected mayor in 1994. The debate over development has trickled down the races for two contested seats on the city council. Fronek, 36, who was urged to run for re-election in Ward 1 by McGrath, supported the continued growth and opposes development fees. Martin, 28, has also said he is pro-growth. But Higginbotham, 63, a city councilwoman from 1980-92, said she feared the city was growing too fast and favors developmental fees. "We have 1,100 homes yet that are approved and waiting on the sidelines and that's got us all worried," she said Tuesday night. In Ward 3, McDowell -- an 80-year-old who has lived in Central Point for 33 years -- is a growth proponent seeking re-election. LeGros, who was elected to the Ward 2 seat in 1994 only to have the ward lines redrawn so that his home falls within Ward 3, is a reluctant supporter of development fees. Gilmour and Mix, 63, both support the fees. No candidates filed for the Ward 2 seat that LeGros vacated. A write-in candidate may be elected but write-in ballots aren't expected to be counted until next week. If there is no write-in winner, the new council will appoint someone to the seat. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA