Longview council gets new look
Wednesday, November 7, 2007 7:50 AM PST
By Tony Lystra
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe balance of power on the Longview City Council shifted dramatically Tuesday night as voters elected two new council members and unseated Ramona Leber, a 16-year incumbent, who had been the city's first woman mayor.
Chuck Wallace, a 28-year-old meter reader and former military policeman, defeated Leber by taking 56 percent of the vote. Ken Botero, a former Longview Fibre Co. pipefitter, overwhelmed incumbent Chet Makinster by capturing 58 percent.
Councilman Kurt Anagnostou defeated his opponent, Adora Greenwood, taking 65 percent of the vote. Don Jensen held off his opponent, Benjamin Harrison, with 62 percent.
Wallace, who will serve his first elected post, said Tuesday night that voters had become fed up with the old guard on the council.
"I think that people are hungry for change," he said. "They wanted it and they got it."
Botero, who has also served on the Longview School Board, said, "People in our community are looking to be led by people who can be held accountable for what they're doing."
It was the most contested Longview council race in recent memory, marked by infighting among incumbents and what some considered an unprecedented degree of overt partisanship.
Leber and Mayor Dennis Weber, both Republicans, accused Councilmen Andy Busack, Jensen and Anagnostou of promoting new blood on the council in an effort to take over City Hall.
In addition, the county's Republicans accused Democrats of inappropriately funneling money into what, at least in name, are nonpartisan races. The county's Democratic Men's Club and Cowlitz Democratic Women donated between $1,000 and $500 to Anagnostou, Botero, Wallace and Jensen.
Meanwhile, Anagnostou and Jensen, as well as Councilman Andy Busack endorsed Wallace, Leber's opponent. They accused Leber of being out of step with the community, particularly for wanting to raise utility rates and for promoting what they considered too-stringent policies regarding alcohol at community events. (Leber has maintained that adults should never drink in front of children.)
No one could recall sitting council members endorsing a fellow incumbent's rival. It was especially unheard-of on a council known for presenting a united front on the city's issues.
Reached shortly after the returns came in, Leber said, "I'm disappointed. But I had a good 16 years."
She declined to comment further.
Makinster, who had been appointed to the council in 2005 to replace councilwoman Susan Stockard, said he wasn't sure why he'd been voted out of office.
"I'm a political neophyte," he said. "I just don't have a clue. I just don't know what's going on."
Asked Tuesday night if he had in fact formed a coalition to take over the city, Anagnostou said, "Yeah, I guess so. But it's in a good way, right? We're the good guys. We're the white knights coming in to do the good work and save the city."
Voters, he said, see Wallace "as somebody new. Is it a takeover when youth gets involved in government?"
On Tuesday, Wallace said, "It's not really a takeover. The people put us here. We're running a campaign and we're giving people a choice."
Jensen came under fire during the campaign for taking a $1,000 donation from the Unique Tin auto club, which hosts an annual car show. Jensen, a member of the club, gave the campaign donation back after it was revealed that he is chairman of a city committee that allocated $2,100 in tourism promotion dollars to the car club. Officials said there was nothing illegal about the donation, but Jensen said last month that he gave the money back to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
On Tuesday night, he said, "Voters obviously did not think it was wrong because at this point they're putting me in by a huge amount."
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