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Gold Hill has a race for mayor ... finally Eilefson, Ryan will sqaure off for job no one seemed to want By BUFFY POLLOCK GOLD HILL � The names of two mayoral candidates � which is two more than the city had in the general election � will appear on the May 15 ballot. Council President Scott Eilefson and resident Kevin Ryan met Monday's filing deadline with applications and signature packets, which were verified Wednesday, according to city recorder Tony Paxton. Eilefson, who has been carrying out the duties of the mayor since Tim Roddam resigned in December, met the deadline by about an hour. "I've already been serving in the interim these last couple of months and just really enjoyed it," he said. "I've always had it in the back of my mind that I would probably do it and having a chance to get my feet wet these last couple of months really helped." Eilefson, who serves on the board of directors for the community development group known as CanDo, is an advocate of responsible development and attracting a diverse businesses community to the city. He has lived in Gold Hill for 3� years and has worked in the wholesale lumber business for 18 years. Ryan, an independent driver, said he filed for appointment in February when he learned council members would not hold a March election to elect a new mayor. He said he felt the city needed someone to come forward and did not want to see the city "do without." Paxton said that while the council decided in January to postpone declaring the seat vacant to save money that would have been spent on a "write-in" election, Ryan's application showed there was an interest in the position. A 16-year resident of Gold Hill, Ryan said his goals as mayor would be to promote an increase in tourism, hospitality and revenue as well as to make the city safer for children. Ryan, who previously owned a restaurant, said his management experience and involvement with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce would be useful assets to the city. "The town needs a mayor. We're already at a disadvantage with no police department. We have a lot of minor crime issues that need to be dealt with," he said in an earlier interview. Ryan was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Council member Donna Silva said she was pleased that Eilefson decided to run against Ryan. "Right now we have a council that is working really well together and he's (Eilefson) part of that," she said. "I'm glad there will be more than one name on the ballot." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.