Futcher, Archer, Wheeler worth Kelso's support
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:56 AM PDT
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E-mail this articleKelso citizens, unhappy with their city government, set about changing it last fall. They voted overwhelmingly to require that four of the seven city council members be elected by ward. It was a strong message of disapproval from citizens who had come to view the council as unresponsive, out of touch and generally ineffective.
The message wasn't lost on council members. In the weeks and months following the election they would open new channels of communication with constituents, holding "town hall" meetings and begin mailing out newsletters. Daily News reporter Amy M.E. Fischer wrote this past February that the tone of city council meetings changed, with councilmen regularly grilling city staff members about steps the city was taking to address citizens' concerns.
Yet, dissatisfaction with the council persists among many Kelso citizens. All four councilmen up for re-election this fall have drawn opponents who suggest that the change witnessed following last fall's wake-up call has been largely cosmetic. Several are running as bloc on the theme "C of Change." Most, if not all, of the challengers subscribe to the concerns voiced by those "C of Change" candidates.
Two of the four council incumbents up for re-election in November -- David Futcher and Joe Wheeler -- face more than one challenger, which puts their races on the Aug. 21 primary ballot. We consider Councilman Futcher to be an agent of responsible change and believe Kelso would be ill-served by putting any of his three challengers in his at-large seat.
Futcher was appointed to the council in 2005 to succeed Kathleen Johnson, who resigned to take a county commissioner post. A certified public accountant, Futcher brings valuable experience in finance to the council. He has shown himself to be a quick study on the many and varied issues that come before the council. His community involvement and record of civic service are solid.
After interviewing five potential replacements for former Councilwoman Johnson in 2005, the Kelso council chose Futcher. He's since demonstrated the wisdom of that choice. The Daily News urges voters to affirm it in the August primary.
In the race for Councilman Wheeler's East Kelso seat, we'd like to hear more from both the incumbent and one of his two challengers, Gary Archer. We urge voters to advance both Wheeler and Archer to the November general election.
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