Three Candidates Contest Pair of City Council Seats

On one of the shortest ballots in city history, only three candidates are vying for two City Council seats in the upcoming November election.

Besides incumbent Collene Thompson Campbell, 64, the ballot lists 58-year-old businessman John Greiner and 47-year-old retired Air Force officer Robert A. Hagstrom.

Councilwoman Carolyn Nash said she is not seeking reelection because of business and personal commitments and because she never intended to serve more than one term.

All three candidates agree on one thing: that the city’s unspoiled ridgelines, rural atmosphere and quality of life must be protected. But beyond that, their platforms differ. Campbell, a nationally known anti-crime activist, says maintaining safe streets is her top priority, especially when it comes to gang activity. During her term, she says, she supported expanding the city’s law enforcement by 50% without increasing the city’s budget.

Greiner, a planning commissioner, says he wants to bring together all segments of the population: youth, seniors, merchants and other groups. His goal is to foster communication so that there will be less misunderstanding about issues that may have divided them in the past.

Hagstrom contends that the current council does not represent the majority of voters and that it needs to rethink the way it spends taxpayers’ dollars. He has vowed not to accept campaign contributions or put up posters, saying he considers them a form of graffiti.

Whatever their priorities, the winners will have to deal with a number of other issues in the next term, including the completion of the $1.8-million Community Center, work on an affordable-housing program for the Capistrano Villas and Casa de Capistrano neighborhoods, lack of parking downtown and how to attract business without ruining the city’s ambience.