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Sandy City Council: It's a race!

Nine candidates seek four seats

By Marcus Hathcock

The Sandy Post, Aug 19, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

It’s going to be an exciting ballot this November, as almost every one of the Sandy City Council races will be contested – including the mayor’s race.

Nine people filed for the four open seats, said City Recorder Karen Evatt.

City Council President David Nelson, who was confirmed as the city of Troutdale’s new city administrator this week, decided not to run again, as did Councilor Bill Leslie.

There’s a three-way race to replace Nelson, with local business owner Scott Horsfall, retired citizen Charles Stewart and Sandy Toastmaster Steve Winkler throwing their hats into the ring.

Leslie’s Position 3 is a race between Sandy chamber board member Joe Shelley and sales professional David Beitler.

It appears incumbent Position 4 Councilor Phil Moyer will keep his seat on the council, as he faced no challenges to his seat.

For the first time two election cycles, Mayor Linda Malone will have a challenger in the fall. Local business owner Bill King said he’s running to make Sandy more business-friendly and to give Sandy voters a choice.

“I want to see the city get a little more business friendly,” said King, owner of Bill’s Automotive for 20 years and an area resident since 1975. “They’re turning downtown into a ghost town. It’s hard for businesses to succeed with the limitations the city’s putting on them.”

King, who has lived in the city limits for several years, has made unsuccessful attempts in the past to get appointed to the Planning Commission and City Council. He said response to his candidacy has been positive so far.

“I just thought a lot of people like me might be feeling like it’s time for a change,” King said. “A lot of people are enthusiastic about me running without even asking me what I stand for. They almost don’t care; people are just not real happy with the way things are going.

“Nobody else is stepping up, and somebody’s gotta do it.”

Malone says she’s glad to have an opponent in November.

“It’s encouraging to me to have more candidates running than less,” she said. “It shows people want to give service to the city, and that’s a good thing.”

Malone says that if she’s elected to an eighth – and most likely final – term, she’ll tie up the loose ends on some of the projects she’s helped start. She would like to oversee the completion of the urban renewal district and its many projects, the full construction of Civic Plaza, the elimination of most commercial zone vacancies and the coming centennial celebration in 2011.

“After being around almost 20 years now, I want to be there (to plan the centennial), and get that headed in the right direction,” Malone said.

Besides that, she says she enjoys working with her fellow council members and city staff.

“I hope there’s enough goodwill out there for all the things I’ve done to give me another term,” Malone said. “I hope to continue with the positive things the city has undertaken; the record shows things are going pretty good.”

Malone said she doesn’t know much about her opponent but welcomes the debate.

“More power to him for running,” she said. “I hope to see him at City Council meetings.”

She said that regardless of the outcome of the election, she believes the city will win in the end.

“If the wishes of the city are for me to continue in this office, great,” Malone said.

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