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Variety marks Ashland race Five diverse candidates aim to replace Mayor Cathy Shaw By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � The lineup for Ashland�s mayoral race reads like a cast list from a political version of "The Breakfast Club": There�s a car dealer, a grocery checker, a retired Army major, a former costume shop manager and a career coach. They�ve lived in Ashland anywhere from two years to a lifetime. Some have years of city government experience, while others have none. Despite their differences, all five have the same goal: to be the city�s first new mayor in a dozen years. Candidates Alan DeBoer, Carole Wheeldon, Gary Smith, John Freedom and Betty Austin Hutto will appear on ballot in the Nov. 7 general election. After three terms as mayor, Cathy Shaw is not seeking re-election. Ballots will be mailed Friday. Alan DeBoer, who owns Town and Country Chevrolet Oldsmobile, is the only candidate to previously try for the mayor�s seat; he made a close but unsuccessful bid against Shaw in 1996. DeBoer cites his "strong financial background" and experience overseeing projects � such as construction of the Ashland Family YMCA building � as evidence that he can provide solid leadership on upcoming city projects, which include expanding the library and redesigning Siskiyou Boulevard. "I do understand a $90 million budget, and I can read it easily," says DeBoer, who describes himself as fiscally conservative. DeBoer says he also can "run a good meeting" that respects the council�s time and facilitates public input. "Running a meeting�s an art," he says. "I certainly try not to interject my opinions while I�m running a meeting." DeBoer says one of his goals is to work on providing alternatives to the single-person vehicle, such as ride sharing, public transit and walking or biking. "I�d like to be able to replace cars in Ashland," he says. Though he values experience, DeBoer says he also believes in term limits � two terms � and doesn�t want to turn the mayor�s position into a full-time job. "I would like to leave the job so that people can feel like they can do it too," DeBoer says. "I think it was never intended to be a full-time killer position." After five years on the council, Carole Wheeldon says she has the experience to help the council work together and create a "nonintimidating" atmosphere for citizen participation. "One of the things I�ve heard most as I�ve gone door to door," Wheeldon says, "is people wondering why there�s antagonism on the council and whether it could be better." Once the discussion�s over, however, Wheeldon says a good leader knows how to translate ideas into action. "I�m very willing to listen, but I�m ready to go the next step," she says. "I think I�m good at moving it to the next level." In the next four years, the council will make decisions about growth-related issues � such as transportation and affordable housing � that will help shape Ashland�s future, Wheeldon says. "I believe that we�re going to be wrestling with the effects of growth in these next four years quite a bit," she says. Wheeldon says she�ll use her "inclusive" leadership style to get more people involved in the problem-solving process. She�ll also be looking to measure how much citizens are willing to change their own behavior as part of the solution. "I�m more and more wanting to hear not only what we should do (as city government), but to have reinforcement that there�s a constituency of people who are looking for change," she says. Gary Smith, an Albertson�s checker and former manager of a San Diego advertising agency, says he wants to make city government more accountable and accessible. Smith, who has no government experience, says being mayor shouldn�t require a lengthy resume and those who serve should be limited to one term at a time. Smith says he�s qualified to be mayor because his job at the grocery store keeps him in touch with a wide range of citizens. "I�m in probably the most unique position of any candidate in the state," he says. "I talk to people every day, I listen to them." One of Smith�s top concerns is that Ashland�s rising cost of living is driving out the working class. He wants to examine the city�s budget and request an audit to see where costs could be cut without losing quality. "It would be nice to say that for the next four years, our budget doesn�t go up a dime," he says. "For $90 million, we can make things work in this town." John Freedom , a retired Army major, says Ashland�s problems go deeper than the popular issues, such as the need for more parking and affordable housing. "I see all of those things not as problems, but as symptoms of the problem," Freedom says. "What I see as the problem is that we don�t know where we�re going. "We must begin to look over the horizon and see where we�re going 25 and 50 years from now." Freedom says he wants to see the community create a vision statement and to rewrite the city�s comprehensive plan to incorporate those values. If elected, Freedom says he�ll request an audit and question whether city-owned businesses, such as Ashland Fiber Network, should be privatized. A vigilant supporter of trees and the environment, Freedom has taken a stand against the library expansion if it involves removal of about two dozen trees, as planned. He also says the Mount Ashland expansion is unnecessary. "The current footprint at Mount Ashland is adequate for the recreation needs of the people in this community," Freedom says. "I like it the way it is." Betty Austin Hutto, a career and personal coach at Athena Associates, says residents need to establish their values as a community and write a vision statement that will provide the framework for future decisions. "We need to get clear on who we are and what we want," Hutto says. "Unless we do that, there won�t be a rhyme or reason to what we get." As a relative newcomer to Ashland, Hutto says she can provide a "fresh perspective" to the mayor�s position. "I am totally free of any political strings and ties," she says. "There�s a lot of power in being free." If elected, Hutto says she would be available to the public at regular no-host gatherings and would consider naming an ombudsman to be a "less-official" citizens� advocate. Hutto also says she�ll set a tone for city government that encourages citizen input and goal-oriented decisions. "I am by nature a facilitator," Hutto says. Ashland's mayoral candidates: ALAN DEBOER E-mail: [email protected]; no Web site Age: 49 Lived in Ashland: entire lifetime Government/leadership experience: Ashland City Council and Budget Committee, 1997-1998; Ashland School Board, 1993-present; Ashland School Budget Committee, 1991-1992; Mount Ashland Board, 1995-present; Ashland Family YMCA Board, 1988-1996; currently serves on Ashland Family YMCA Finance Committee, Board of Trustees and Building Committee; Transportation, Transit and Parking Committee, chair; Ashland Airport Commission; Rogue Valley Area Committee on Transportation; Ashland Rotary board. Work experience: 31 years in the county automotive industry. Currently local business owner with main office at Town and Country Chevrolet Oldsmobile. Educational background: Ashland High School, 1969; accounting classes at Southern Oregon University; General Motors School of Merchandising and Management, 1981. Priorities: "To provide leadership to find solutions to our wastewater problem, sustain a viable water supply and protect our watershed. Address our livability and provide a viable alternative to the automobile for our guests and residents. Support all those things that make Ashland the city that we chose to live in while exercising fiscal responsibility and protecting our environment." JOHN FREEDOM E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.johnfreedom.com Age: 56 Lived in Ashland: 26 months Government/leadership experience: Ashland Economic Development Committee; Hillside Inn Appeal Citizen Action Committee, chair; executive officer to the Frankfurt, Germany, military community commander. Work experience: U.S. Army, retired as major, 1963-1985; seminar leader on human potential, 1985-1987; chief administrative officer of San Francisco Bay area corporation, 1988-1989; business consultant, 1989-1994. Education: bachelor of science in business, Cameron University, 1980; organizational behavior and human resource development, graduate studies, Chapman University. Priorities: "Top priority is solidifying a realistic approach to Ashland�s future. This initiative must include rewriting the Comprehensive Plan to encompass a long-term vision, community-driven values and sound policies and goals. This will enable citizen involvement in Ashland�s future and promote direct accountability of elected leaders to the people." BETTY AUSTIN HUTTO E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.huttoformayor.com Age: 58 Lived in Ashland: since January 1998. Government/leadership experience: appointed by two successive U.S. secretaries of transportation to serve on (federal) Navigation Safety Advisory Council, two terms; various maritime committees. Work experience: currently self-employed director of Athena Associates; cofounder/operator, The River School, an independent maritime school in Memphis, Tenn., 1972-1997; registered nurse, 1962-1997. Education: Methodist School of Nursing, diploma; Phillips County Community College, associate�s degree. Priorities: "We need values-based guidelines if we are to honor, protect and nourish Ashland�s unique essence, natural beauty and livability. We need a citywide process to identify community values, culminating in creation of a vision statement. Knowing who we are and what we want, we can make better decisions on all the issues facing us." GARY SMITH E-mail: none; Web site: www.freedome.net/go_gary Age: 53 Lived in Ashland: four years Government/leadership experience: Vietnam veteran, U.S. Army. Work experience: general manager of a public relations and marketing firm in Southern California for 20 years; currently a checker at Albertson�s. Education: bachelor of arts in business and marketing from California State University, Fullerton. Priorities: "Curb the city government�s runaway spending that has � in the last 12 years � increased from $33 million a year to over $90 million a year, with no end in sight. Bring a common-sense approach to growth control, livability, conservation of assets and the preservation of Ashland�s unique ambiance." CAROLE WHEELDON E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.opendoor.com/wheeldon/ Age: 47 Lived in Ashland: 22 years Government/leadership experience: Ashland City Council, 1995-present; Transportation Planning Advisory Committee; Citizens� Planning and Advisory Committee; Citizens� Budget Committee, seven years; Conservation Commission, chair; Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission; Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Inc.; Rogue Valley Advisory Committee on Transportation; Siskiyou Boulevard Design Committee. Work experience: 18 years of costume, personnel and budget management at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Education: bachelor of fine arts in theater, University of Nebraska at Omaha; master of science in social science, Southern Oregon University; Pacific Program in Leadership, University of Oregon. Priorities: "I have been engaged in the issues important to Ashland: participation, transportation, economic stability, fire hazard reduction and reducing the impacts of growth. I will use my knowledge and experience in municipal government to connect citizen concerns with solutions that will be in the best interest of the entire community." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.