SAN CLEMENTE : Haggard, Diehl Make Bids for Reelection

City Council members Candace Haggard and Scott Diehl on Monday became the first candidates to make their reelection bids official.

Haggard and Diehl were the only candidates to pick up their nomination papers Monday--the first filing day for the Nov. 3 election. Those wishing to challenge the incumbents for the two council seats have until Aug. 7 to gather enough signatures.

Diehl, who will be seeking his third term, said he is unsure how much opposition he will face.

“This year is a very different year politically,” the veteran councilman said. “But San Clemente historically has had quite a few people running for council seats.”

Since Diehl first ran for office in 1982, the pool of candidates has varied from 10 to 17 people.

Diehl, a 42-year-old local veterinarian, served on the council from 1982 to 1986 before being defeated in 1986. He was reelected in 1988.

He currently serves as chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and is first vice president of the Orange County division of the League of California Cities.

Haggard, 41, an intergovernmental relations analyst in the county administrative office, will be seeking her second four-year term.

“I pretty much knew from when I took the oath of office that I wanted two terms,” said Haggard, who has lived in San Clemente for 18 years. “I think continuity is important. At this point I just want to carry through the programs we have enacted.”

She was recently elected to represent South County coastal cities on the executive committee of the Southern California Assn. of Governments.

In addition to regional transportation and air quality issues, both Diehl and Haggard said they expect the city’s financial condition to be one of the main campaign issues during the election.

“Financial considerations are foremost in everybody’s minds,” Diehl said.

Meanwhile, Haggard said she is excited about the prospect of continuing her efforts to improve the city’s weak sales tax base. “At least we have a glimmer of hope in these tough economic times,” she said.

The city treasurer and city clerk positions will also be up for grabs during the November elections. Council members earn $217 a month; the treasurer and city clerk earn $375 per month.