Council Campaigns Take Form
Staff editorial

With the election only 50 days away, campaigns for city council are still low key. As a big change from the last city election, candidates have been slow to break out the yard signs. In 2006, signs for the council race began appearing the first week of September.

Two council challengers, Judy Rackauckas and Michael Williamson, indicated during blog interviews that they won’t put much effort into campaigning. Rackauckas as the sister-in-law of Or. Co. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has a familiar last name. With two seats up for election on Nov. 4 and only two women running, both would benefit on the basis of gender. Williamson has the distinction of being the only Democrat among six candidates. Without campaigning, however, Rackauckas and Williamson are not likely to be factors.

This year, ballot order for city candidates will be 1) Judy Rackauckas, 2) Michael Williamson, 3) Cathy Schlicht, 4) Neil Lonsinger, 5) Rich Atkinson and 6) Frank Ury. In 2006, three council candidates touted themselves as the 1-2-3 slate because of their first three spots on the ballot. Voters evidently didn’t consider ballot order on Election Day, as 1-2-3 came in at 4-6-8 with only three seats available.

Councilman Frank Ury is the only incumbent running, following the Aug. 8 announcement from Councilwoman Gail Reavis that she wouldn’t seek reelection. When Ury first ran in 2004, he had a team of supporters who had selected him as their spokesman to get the power lines buried. After four years of ignoring his fans except for laughing behind their backs, Ury in this election will have his former supporters campaigning against him. Ury has angered many others with his promotion of cell towers all over town, and some community watchdogs believe he has a business relationship with ATS, the city’s cell tower contractor.

Candidate Rich Atkinson has been endorsed by Council Members Ury, MacLean and Kelley. Atkinson would be completely unknown in city politics if Kelley hadn’t appointed him to the planning commission. Those who have encountered Atkinson are saying they won’t vote for him. If his association with the unholy trio doesn’t sink him, there’s something about him that turns people off. As a whole other matter, he may have falsely claimed last week that he has the endorsement of a political group. If that’s what he said, strong reaction will follow. Residents who have read his ballot statement suspect he favors housing on the Casta golf course.

Activists and blog contributors continue to recommend Neil Lonsinger and Cathy Schlicht as the only reasonable city council candidates. Lonsinger comes across as informed about city issues and opposed to the whacko views of MacLean. Schlicht rarely misses a council meeting, and she generally does a good job of representing residents’ views from the public microphone. Voters might as well put her on the dais and give her a shot at straightening things out.