POLL REVEALS TIGHT RACES FOR
PETALUMA MAYOR, COUNCIL SEATSPublished on October 30, 2002
© 2002- The Press Democrat
PETALUMA -- With six days left before the election, the race for Petaluma mayor is a dead heat, as is the contest for three seats on the City Council, according to a new Press Democrat Poll.
Mayor Clark Thompson, who is seeking a second term, is backed by 34 percent of respondents, with 33 percent for challenger David Glass and 33 percent undecided.
For the City Council, the poll found none of the six candidates has more than 36 percent and none has less than 23 percent.
More than a third of the voters are undecided.
``Could we make these races any closer?'' pollster Richard Hertz asked.
Glass, a municipal bond trader who says the council is too cozy with developers, was pleased with the poll results.
``I feel good,'' he said. ``It shows me that a significant number of people are paying attention to what is happening in our town with development and pro-developer attitudes.''
Thompson didn't respond to phone inquiries.
``I am a little surprised,'' said Councilman Matt Maguire, an ally of Glass. ``It does go a bit against the conventional wisdom. Clark is well-known and real popular, but David has been pushing real hard on specific issues.''
Among the six candidates vying for three council seats, incumbent Janice Cader-Thompson was favored by 36 percent, followed by Maguire with 33 percent. Incumbent Mike Healy and challenger Mike Harris each has 29 percent, and challengers Cindy Thomas and Keith Canevaro are tied at 23 percent. The numbers add up to more than 100 percent because voters can choose up to three candidates.
The poll, based on phone interviews with 218 registered voters over 11 days ending Tuesday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percent.
That means the top four council candidates are effectively tied, with Thomas and Canevaro well within striking distance.
Thirty-four percent of the voters are undecided, a large enough bloc to swing the election in any direction over the final week.
Cader-Thompson, who is allied with Maguire and Thomas, couldn't be reached for comment. All three favor stricter controls on growth in Petaluma.
Harris, Healy and Canevaro are considered more business-friendly.
Harris, a vice president of a check guarantee company, said his support in the poll shows that ``people want a change, and I think people like my message for change.''
But, he said, ``polls don't mean much'' and he plans to keep working hard through election day.
Healy said it's ``a very close election that will depend on which candidates connect best with the undecided voters and also on which voters turn out on Election Day.''
Voters cited various reasons for their views, including the deteriorating condition of local streets and concerns about growth.
For 73-year-old Marianne Fitzpatrick, the differing ideologies of Glass, Canevaro, Harris and Thomas mattered less than the fact they are all challengers. She said that's why she voted absentee for all of them.
The incumbents ``should have paid attention to the streets earlier,'' she said.
``This council has put their priorities in the wrong place,'' she said, citing the city's costly efforts to create a park at Lafferty Ranch. ``They've spent a fortune. ... That's icing on the cake. You need your streets fixed.''
A lot of the people she knows share her anti-incumbent feelings, Fitzpatrick said.
``Everyone I talk to has said it's time to get rid of them and get a new group in there,'' she said. ``They certainly can't do any worse.''
Henry White, a 50-year-old artist who has lived in the city since 1978, said he would like to see Glass, Maguire, Cader-Thompson and Thomas elected because they would support a ``sustainable economy and well-managed, reasonable development instead of over-development.''
But some residents think the city's problem is too little development, rather than too much.
Roy Johnson, a 51-year-old customer service representative at a poultry processing plant, said he will vote for Thompson, Canevaro, Harris and Healy.
``The greens would be against fixing the streets and any kind of growth, extending the outlet mall, getting a theater,'' he said. ``It's not convenient to live in Petaluma and it's very expensive because they've made it that way.''
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
DEVELOPER FUNDS BOOST CANDIDATE COFFERS
Published on October 26, 2002
© 2002- The Press DemocratPetaluma candidates already have collected a record $167,224 as the City Council campaign heads into the home stretch.
The old record -- $144,000 in 2000 -- fell less than two years after the council adopted a law intended to curb campaign spending in Sonoma County's second-largest city.
Only two of the eight candidates on the ballot tapped into taxpayer money set aside to help pay for campaigns.
A new $200 contribution limit appears to have had little effect on fundraising as the top fund-raisers eschewed a voluntary spending limit, relying instead on a traditional source of campaign cash: developers.
Voters will pick a mayor and three council members in the Nov. 5 election.
Mayor Clark Thompson raised $35,694 in his bid for a second term through Oct. 19, the end of the most recent reporting period.
That's significantly more than the $21,600 voluntary spending limit in Petaluma's campaign finance ordinance, but still well behind the individual record of $47,799 set by Councilman Bryant Moynihan in 2000.
Council hopeful Mike Harris also has topped the spending limit, reporting $30,754 including a personal loan of $3,500 to his campaign.
Thompson and Harris are among four candidates receiving the largest concentration of campaign money from development interests. The others are Councilman Mike Healy and Keith Canevaro.
All four are endorsed by the North Coast Builders Exchange. Among them, they have amassed a war chest of $100,327 -- much of it, though not all, from developers. It has given them a big cash advantage over the four slow-growth candidates on the ballot.
Councilman Matt Maguire, Councilwoman Janice Cader-Thompson, mayoral challenger David Glass and council hopeful Cindy Thomas have raised a cumulative $67,604, according to fund-raising reports filed with the city clerk.
The slow-growth candidates also have received campaign contributions from development interests but in significantly smaller amounts.
The reason candidates endorsed by the Builders Exchange got so much more, said Cader-Thompson, is ``land owners and proposed developers working ... to get candidates who will rubber stamp their projects.''
That's ``a crock,'' said Keith Woods, president of the North Coast Builders Exchange. ``We look for people who are good listeners, have common sense and value the things we do -- transportation, affordable housing, good streets and roads.''
As the city gets ready to approve a new land use plan next year, former councilman David Keller said developers want council members who will go easy on flooding and traffic impacts and won't raise development impact fees.
Charlie Carson, executive director of the northern division of the Home Builders Association, said such statements are a ``smoke screen'' because ``there is very little left to be developed.''
According to a general plan report recently issued by the city, Petaluma has 986 acres of vacant land -- about 10 percent of the city's total land area.
The growing role of developers in funding campaigns was cited by council supporters of the finance measure adopted after the 2000 election.
Maguire and Cader-Thompson voted for the measure and said they will abide by the voluntary spending limit though they won't ask for public money for their campaigns.
Cader-Thompson, who is seeking a second term, raised $19,900 through Oct. 19. Maguire, who is running for his third term, raised $18,245.
Candidates who accept the spending limit are eligible for 50 cents in public funds for every dollar they raise up to about $14,500.
Glass and Thomas are the only candidates to apply for public funds.
Glass, who collected $14,407 in contributions, requested $4,805. Thomas collected $7,760, including $4,000 in loans, and requested $1,780 in public money.
Healy, who is running for a second term, has raised $13,425. Canevaro, a first-time candidate, has raised $20,454, the third-highest total among the eight candidates.
He collected $13,179 during the first three weeks of October, 70 percent from development interests.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
RAISING FUNDS
For mayor:
Clark Thompson $35,694
David Glass $19,212For City Council:
Mike Harris $30,754
Keith Canevaro $20,454
Janice Cader-Thompson $19,900
Matt Maguire $18,245
Mike Healy $13,425
Cindy Thomas $9,540
Voters map their futures in Petaluma, Sonoma
Development at forefront of electionWyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, October 18, 2002City growth is the key issue in two North Bay elections this November, as residents in Petaluma and Sonoma choose leaders who will shape the burgeoning towns confined within tight boundaries.
Both elections have sparked controversy, as Petaluma candidates exchange charges of knavery and some Sonomans challenge whether one of those running is a legitimate resident of the city.
In Petaluma, a city of 56,000, six people, including three incumbents, are running for three city council seats, and the mayor faces one challenger.
All candidates agree the city's crumbling roads need fixing and estimates put the cost at $140 million. The council recently approved spending about $12 million on roads, but the candidates differ on where the rest should come from.
Several candidates also say the council needs members who will work together -- though some current members say that is just doublespeak for a pro- development council that will rubber stamp projects in the city.
"There's tens of millions of dollars at stake. Developers want to buy (the council's) votes, and that's what they're doing," said Janice Cader-Thompson, an incumbent trying to retain her seat.
She and fellow incumbent Matt Maguire are the subject of a new bumper sticker appearing around town that states: "It's time to remove Saddam, Maguire and Cader-Thompson."
Maguire said a campaign by "pothole zealots," which has included airplane- flown banners and spray-painting on the streets, is partly a front to the campaign to remove him from office.
"If it happens it will be really unfortunate for Petaluma. It's not that I'm so special, but I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the shenanigans developers try to pull," Maguire said.
Those tagged as pro-development say the charges are unfounded.
"The problem lies in the fact that they know their time has come. People are fed up with the shenanigans of people on the council," said Keith Canevaro.
Canevaro has large signs around town, placed next to similar signs for candidate Mike Harris and incumbent mayor Clark Thompson. The three are described by their competitors as the pro-development cadre.
Harris said he has received support from a cross-section of residents, including developers, but adds that he is running because the council is not meeting residents' needs.
"This is a referendum on what we want to do for the future of Petaluma," he said.
The election will affect Petaluma's city administration, too, Thompson said,
as the council will be responsible for hiring a new city manager, assistant city manager, police chief and chief engineer.
Some candidates say these decisions should be viewed through the prism of campaign contributions.
So far, Thompson has raised $26,000, Harris $22,000 and Canevaro $7,000.
Thompson has received nearly half of his contributions from developers, contractors, real estate agents and other construction-focused businesses and individuals. Harris has received about 16 percent of his funds from those sources, and Canevaro 35 percent.
Cader-Thompson has raised $17,000 and Maguire has raised $14,000 -- with 5 percent and 7 percent from those same sources, respectively.
Other candidates -- including incumbent Mike Healy, who has raised $8,000, and Cindy Thomas, who has raised $1,600 -- have avoided the fray, though nearly half of Healy's money is from those contributors and Thomas received $200 from them as well.
Healy said he is the current swing vote on the council between the opposing sides.
"I have made a point of being independent of the two factions in the city," he said, adding that "who is on the council can be important for what gets built on the land that's left."
No matter who wins, finding money to pay for the city's roads will be a challenge.
Maguire wants to go after the state's share of local property taxes and shift that money back to the city. Cader-Thompson agrees that the state needs to increase the amount of money it gives to cities.
Canevaro wants to re-examine the budget and shift the city's spending priorities, and Harris is looking to taxes and fee increases to pay the bill.
David Glass, who heads the planning commission and is challenging Thompson for the mayor's post, said raising fees on new developments to levels comparable with other cities is the answer.
He received about 10 percent of his $7,200 from pro-development contributors.
Thomas agrees that fees need to be increased. She describes herself as "pro- responsible development" and says looking at the entire city infrastructure should be a top priority.
In Sonoma, where nine people including two incumbents are vying for three seats, some citizens are challenging the legitimacy of Deborah Emery's candidacy, as she has used a business address in Sonoma as her residence.
Bill Boerum, who is also running for the council, said Emery primarily lives at her ranch -- 2 1/2 miles outside of city limits -- and told residents at a candidate forum that she drives "three miles to work" every day.
Emery asserts she has the right to claim as her primary residence any of the three places where she has a home: at Lake Tahoe, on her ranch outside of Sonoma and at her and her husband's plastic surgery office in Sonoma.
California election laws allow candidates to declare their primary residence wherever they choose, though it is done under penalty of perjury.
The only way to challenge a person's primary residence is for another resident to take the issue to court, said Shad Balch, a spokesman in the Secretary of State.
Sonoma resident Wylie Hartman has filed a complaint with the elections fraud division at the Secretary of State's office.
Outside of this controversy, all candidates for the council see managing growth as the biggest priority for the town of 9,100, which grew 12 percent in the last decade.
Emery says Sonoma should maintain moderate growth while building affordable housing and safeguarding rural aspects of the town.
Some candidates, including Bill Boerum, want a one-year moratorium on development.
"We need a breather, a time out for one year to see where we are and what's in the pipeline," Boerum said.
Candidate Sam Digiacomo said he would support that measure with an exemption for the building of affordable housing. Boerum does not want any such exemption.
Others, including incumbent Ken Brown, want to lower the number of market rate housing units allowed to be built in the city each year. Now, there is an annual limit of 100 such projects.
Brown would like to see that lowered to between 25 and 35 and says such a limit is necessary to retain Sonoma's rural charm. Candidate Robert Cannard wants to limit subdivisions to no more than four houses.
Candidate Robert Behrens wants to form a design congress to map a plan for Sonoma's future.
"The issue ultimately comes down to how the town is going to grow and how it will affect the quality of life for the people of Sonoma," he said.
Incumbent Larry Barnett already has worked to change city code to ensure a public hearing on large commercial developments and wants cities countywide to adopt higher development fees to pay for workforce housing.
"I'm not afraid to bring forth issues of importance, even if they're viewed as controversial," he said.
Candidate Patrick Wofford says the council needs to think differently about issues of traffic, housing and pedestrian safety.
"The city council needs to understand we're not living in the 1940s. We need to be proactive about figuring out solutions to problems we have now and problems we will have shortly," he said.
Candidate Doug McKesson says the council needs to be careful not to change the historic flavor of neighborhoods or the town by allowing the wrong kinds of development.
"Most of us are running along those lines and we just have different views on how to do it," he said.
Meanwhile, there are several school bond measures on ballots across the North Bay:
-- In San Rafael, the high school district is asking for a $49.5 million bond for school improvements in libraries, classrooms, labs and infrastructure.
-- The San Rafael Elementary School District wants to pass a $49.3 million bond for school improvements much like those in the high school district.
-- The Napa Valley Community College District has put a $133.8 million bond measure on the ballot to pay for building upgrades.
-- The Healdsburg Unified School District has two bond measures on the ballot, one for $3.99 million for high school athletic facilities and the other for $18.8 million to pay for new classrooms and other upgrades in several of the district's schools.
-- The Mark West Union School District has an $11 million bond on the ballot for classroom and building improvements and the Rincon Valley Union School District is asking voters to pass a $30 million bond for similar improvements.
E-mail Wyatt Buchanan at wbuchanan@sfchronicle.com.
LET'S PUT AN END TO SIGN STEALING
Published on October 18, 2002
© 2002- The Press DemocratEDITORIAL
Each election provides an opportunity for a city to get a reading on its political health. Healthy communities welcome dissent and encourage civil campaigns that focus on issues and facts.
Unfortunately, even the most well-balanced municipalities are prone to have those who resort to cheap campaign tactics -- such as stealing campaign signs.
City Councilman Matt Maguire has been the target of such lowbrow antics. In the past few weeks, McGuire has lost more than 175 signs that were posted around town.
The signs that have been demolished or stolen have ranged in cost from $5 to more than $100, meaning the total financial loss for Maguire is approaching $1,000.
In addition, Maguire reported earlier this week that his office was pelted with eggs. One hit the door of a neighboring office.
Maguire has been the target of most of this senseless vandalism, but he is not alone. Incumbent Clark Thompson, who is in a two-person race for mayor, and Janice Cader-Thompson, another incumbent in the six-candidate race for City Council, also reportedly have had signs stolen.
Such tactics are inexcusable and intolerable.
The ideological differences that exist on Petaluma's City Council are well known. But those of every political persuasion need to come together to prevent such tactics from festering and spreading.
Police are investigating these acts of vandalism, but they can't do it alone. All citizens need to keep an eye out for those who vandalize the rights of candidates to campaign freely. If they see it happening, they owe it to the community to report it to police.
As Maguire said, ``They are targeting me, but it's really an attack on the community.''
And on its notion of civility.
BUILDERS STILL FILL CAMPAIGN WAR CHESTS
Published on October 17, 2002
© 2002- The Press DemocratCement is still paving the way in Petaluma's elections.
A campaign finance ordinance adopted two years ago was billed as a curb on the influence of developers, but their contributions will still bear enormous weight in this year's campaign.
As of Sept. 30, the close of the most recent filing period, developers and associated businesses accounted for about 47 percent of the contributions to Mayor Clark Thompson, City Councilman Mike Healy and council hopefuls Keith Canevaro and Mike Harris.
Among them, they collected a combined $29,749.
No other interest group has given as generously to any of the eight candidates seeking seats on a City Council long divided by disputes over growth.
In the weeks between the last election and the current council taking office, the outgoing council adopted new rules for political campaigns, citing record spending by council candidates in 2000.
Among other things, the council set a $200 limit on contributions and created a public financing system that offers up to $7,128 in taxpayer money to candidates who accept a voluntary $21,600 spending limit.
The campaign ordinance was a ``tiny attempt to deal with greed,'' said former councilwoman Jane Hamilton, the measure's main proponent.
But only three of the eight candidates in this year's election say they will apply for public funds. The deadline is Tuesday.
All four of the candidates who reported significant contributions from developers have been endorsed by the North Coast Builders Exchange, which warned in a newsletter dated Oct. 10 that the election of other candidates ``could be disastrous to your business.''
The candidates identified with slower-growth policies -- mayoral challenger David Glass, Councilman Matt Maguire, Councilwoman Janice Cader-Thompson and City Council challenger Cindy Thomas -- have received $5,133 from developers and associated businesses, accounting for 12 percent of their contributions.
Thompson said no one is going to get any favors from him just because they've contributed to his campaign, adding that he will continue to give all proposed projects a fair hearing.
The reason he is getting support from the development community is that ``they know I'm going to spend money on infrastructure,'' Thompson said. ``And I'm looking to build more retail facilities in Petaluma.''
Retailers are needed to generate tax revenue for streets and other infrastructure and to relieve congestion on Highway 101, he said.
Healy said: ``I vote for the good (development projects) and against the bad ones. ... A $200 contribution is not going to buy my support.''
Harris said he's proud his contributors represent a broad range of the community. He also is calling for more retail to help pay for infrastructure.
Canevaro said that just because some developers are supporting him, he's not going to approve every project that comes down the pike.
``I would have voted against the original Southgate project,'' he said, citing a large residential and commercial proposal that was recently pulled back by Petaluma's largest commercial landlord.
The days of large contributions from individuals may be over in Petaluma.
But, in Thompson's case, the $200 limit did not keep 16 individuals connected with North Bay Construction from donating a total of $3,500 to his campaign. He also received contributions totalling $1,200 from six individuals connected to Cobblestone Homes and a total of $600 from three officials of Basin Street Properties.
Mayoral challenger David Glass, who is trailing Thompson badly in contributions, said he will be requesting about $4,200 in public funds from the city to augment the money he has raised.
Public financing is good for the public interest, Glass said. ``Otherwise you will continue to have government of developers, by developers and for developers.''
Canevaro and Thomas also have said they will seek funding from the city.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com