Chamber Hosts Candidate Forum, Mayor Absent

Grand Terrace's candidates for public office this November answered questions on a variety of topics on Oct. 21 to a full room at the Community Room in City Hall during a candidate forum hosted by the Grand Terrace Chamber of Commerce. The candidates running for office on the November 2014 ballot include city council candidates Bill Hussey and Doug Wilson, and mayoral candidates Darcy McNaboe, a current city councilmember, and current mayor Walt Stanckiewitz, who is running for re-election. Three candidates, Hussey, Wilson and McNaboe, each gave introductions limited to two minutes and then answered questions submitted by the public and asked by moderator Kacy Carlsen from UpDog, including questions on what each candidate felt were the biggest issues Grand Terrace is facing in the future and what was needed to tackle these issues; what needs to happen to attract business to Grand Terrace; and whether the candidates felt the city could maintain the current level of services provided with a balanced budget. McNaboe was also asked if she would have changed anything or done anything different during her four years on the council. Candidate Bill Hussey asserted that whatever issues Grand Terrace faces, it is up to the council to work together and with staff to solve those issues. “We need to work with our city manager here,” said Hussey. “We need…to supply all the tools that he needs to succeed to make our city run… We need to work with our city staff, we need to work with the residents here in Grand Terrace and see what their basic needs are that they need to fulfill what they want to do… We’ve just got to work together and come together on this.” Candidate Doug Wilson said he felt the city could support minimal amounts of service according to government guidelines in the wake of the failure of Measure C, a user utility tax placed on the ballot last year. “I attended several budget advisory meetings where I told those involved that…we didn’t have a budget emergency, we had a budget Armageddon. While it was painful, I’m happy to see that a year’s gotten us down to our fighting weight,” said Wilson, who added that while the city’s wastewater deal with Colton would add revenue to the General Fund, “we have about a year before we’re in trouble again. We need to roll up our sleeves, and run Grand Terrace like the business it is.” Candidate McNaboe told the audience that she does not regret any decisions she’s made during her four years on the council. “You can certainly learn from decisions you’ve made and the outcome that followed as a result of those decisions,” said McNaboe. “The only thing you can base your decision on is the information that’s in front of you and how you believe your decision will play out once that decision is made… I look back and do I regret any of those decisions I made? Absolutely not. But I am listening to the residents and what they told me and I will be doing the best that I can with what we have.” To view all candidate statements on video, view the video below. Candidate Stanckiewitz was not present at Tuesday afternoon's forum. The owner of a local restaurant, Stanckiewitz said, "I make my living at lunchtime. I have asked the Chamber numerous times to move this forum to the evening so more people can participate." Stanckiewitz added, "I also asked for the ground rules, wanting assurance of neutral ground, since the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce is openly supporting my opponent, and I did not receive an answer." Grand Terrace Chamber Executive Director Sally McGuire claimed via email, “It's unfortunate that the mayor has decided to once again attack the Chamber of Commerce by calling into question the integrity of the entire organization because of one person's (my) support of one exceptional candidate. You need to remember that this mayor boycotted the candidate forum four years ago, in 2010, when he first ran for mayor, and I'm sure he had an excuse then too that was equally unconvincing. The mayor supports and makes time for things he wants to support and attend and makes excuses for things he finds unpleasant. The room was full of busy people who work for a living and by his absence to this important event, he disrespected each and every one of them. This is shameful behavior for a supposed community leader.” Mayor Stanckiewitz countered, saying, “I’m shocked. I have had conversations with Sally on numerous occasions about moving candidate forums…to evenings, because I work, people work, and they can’t attend during the day. I haven’t gotten a good answer from her,” Stanckiewitz claimed. “I did not go to the forum in 2010 and it was for the same reason. I work. This has nothing to do with attacking the Chamber. The issue is with the executive director who openly endorses and supports my opponent. I did not get an answer to the question: ‘Where is Sally going to be (during the forum)?’”