By
Matt
Brown
News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Last
updated: Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 06:39:33 am PDT
The Galt City Council candidates have differing views on how to spur
economic development in the city, but they all agree that moving the flea market
is a bad idea.
The council candidates sounded off on a number of issues
at the candidate forum Wednesday night, and the Galt High School Board
candidates presented their ideas of what the school district will look like in
20 year.
Five of the six council candidates and all nine board candidates
participated in the question and answer session hosted by the Economic
Development Task Force and the Galt District Chamber of Commerce. Writein
candidates were not invited.
Incumbent Darryl Clare said Galt needs to
grow north on the Highway 99 corridor to boost economic development, while
incumbent Tom Malson said Galt needs to develop its infrastructure
first.
"When a business calls and wants to locate to Galt," Malson said,
"We need to be able to tell them we have the infrastructure in
place."
When asked if the Galt Flea Market should be moved out of town,
all of the candidates admitted that it caused traffic and parking problems, but
said moving it would be impossible.
"It would take an act of God to move
the market," said challenger Marylou Powers.
Challenger Andrew Meredith
said he is opposed to Galt connecting its wastewater to the County Sanitation
District.
"I like the fact that we can control what we do with our sanitation
services," he said. "When we control what we do, we make the best
decisions."
The other four candidates agreed that it was not a good idea
to connect to the county sewers.
One thing incumbent Randy Shelton said
he would do if elected back to the council would be to finish the city's General
Plan. Shelton said community input is key to spurring economic
development.
Galt
City
Council candidates:
Darryl
Clare
Randy Shelton
Tom Malson
Marylou Powers
Donald
Haines
Andrew Meredith
Kathleen Amos
Galt
High School
Board candidates:
Patrick
Maple
Dennis Richardson
Ben Cox Jr.
Sharon K. Gillies
Art
Oelsner
Carrie Maylum
Len ReidReynoso
Terry Parker-Owning
Tom
Santillian
—
News-Sentinel staff.
"We should listen to what the community wants, find out what types of
businesses they want to see come to Galt," he said.
If elected back, he
said he would put together a task force to look into it.
Powers said Galt
needed to expand and diversify the types of businesses the city
attracts.
"We need to attract more businesses that we don't already have
so citizens don't have to leave town to shop," she said.
Clare explained
that the urban reserve classification in the General Plan is a way for the city
to curb sprawl to keep a greenbelt between Galt and Elk Grove. He said, as
mayor, he is currently dealing with the issue.
Most of the high school
board candidates said Galt would have a third high school within 20 years. The
city is currently planning to build its second high school.
The
candidates were in agreement that career technical education is a good idea and
they supported an expansion of trade skills training programs such as
agriculture and shop.
Half of the candidates said students who do not
pass the California exit exam should not be allowed to participate in graduation
ceremonies, while the other half said they should be allowed to walk across the
stage with their peers.
The next Galt Candidate Forum will be on Oct. 19
at Wholey Ravioli, 1067 C St.
Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.
First
published: Thursday, October 12, 2006
