News
Holt or Tipton: Voters to decide
Thelma Grimes
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Benson voters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, May 15, to choose between Mark Holt and Dianne Tipton for the remaining City Council seat.
The two made it through the primary election with Holt receiving 311 votes, 10 votes shy of being elected outright in the March primary, and Tipton receiving 293.
In the primary there was a 23.9 percent voter turnout with 640 people casting ballets. For the upcoming election City Clerk Vicki Vivian said there are 2,677 registered voters.
In the primary, the candidates elected outright were Mark Fenn for mayor, and for the council, incumbents John Lodzinski and Kathy Suagee and newcomer Al Sacco.
Current Mayor George Scott was eliminated with the lowest number of votes.
In a primary election, candidates must get 50 percent plus one of the votes to be elected outright.
In looking to the upcoming election, both Holt and Tipton have similar ideas on what the city's priorities should be, with growth and the fire department being important and improving the city's utility rate situation.
Tipton said she would like to focus on the drug problem not just with teenagers, but also with adults
The two agreed that changes needed to be made to the Benson Volunteer Fire Department in order to prepare for growth, but said instead of the council voting to go full time they would have liked to hear more about creating a fire district instead.
Besides growth issues, both candidates also agreed that more attention needs to be paid to city utilities and whether or not citizens are being treated fairly.
Holt and Tipton criticized a water and wastewater rate study that led to major rate increases last year. Both agreed that more studies are needed to improve the current situation.
The two candidates have also run into similar issues as the election process has moved forward. Because of friction with some members of the current City Council, the two have been asked how they will be able to work with the same people if elected.
For Holt it's been about whether or not he can work with the same people who voted to terminate him as city manager in 2004.
"Despite what people keep saying, I am not running to be vindictive," Holt said. "I was also not fired. As my contract stated, if I was no longer the city manager, then I would go back to my position as public works director."
While Holt was terminated in a 4-3 vote as city manager, he did go back to being the public works director, a position held until he had to take medical retirement in 2005.
If elected, Holt said he will be able to work with some of the same council members who voted to terminate him as city manager, including Fenn and Suagee.
Holt said there have been bad feelings between him and Mayor Scott that were exacerbated in the 2005 mayoral election , which Scott won.
Scott has endorsed Tipton, saying Holt is not good for the city.
Tipton, who has been critical of Scott, said she's not surprised.
"That was him showing his dislike for Mark Holt and not so much a like for me," she said. "I'm not stupid."
Tipton has also been asked how she will be able to work with the same council members that she has been so critical of over the last year.
Tipton, who often spoke up at meetings and criticized the council, created City Officials Accountable to the People citizens organization. Since running for office she has stopped running the group, which has about 50 members.
"I formed the group because of the city's 'do what they want' attitude," she said. "I wanted city officials to be accountable. They are there for us. A lot of citizens felt helpless - like nothing they do will change anything."
Tipton primarily started getting involved in council activities after she felt her son, a local owner of a manufactured home park, was being mischarged for gas, water and sewer.
"There is that impression that I can be kind of mouthy," she said. "That's true, I guess. I tried every avenue before I got pushy. If being nice isn't going to get the job done, maybe I shouldn't be so nice,"
If elected, Tipton said she would have no problem working with the current council to improve the city, noting that her main problems were with Scott, who was not reelected, and former City Manager Boyd Kraemer.
Besides maintaining a certain level of professionalism with the council, Holt said he has also had to answer to accusations that he's to blame for the pending lawsuit filed against the city in 2006 by Tom Hartley, owner of San Pedro Golf Course.
The lawsuit centers around an agreement for the city to provide the golf course with effluent. However, the city didn't meet the obligations specified in the contract and had to give the golf course free fresh water to make up the difference.
When the agreement was approved by the City Council, Holt was the city manager. However, he said the agreement was approved by the council and not him, noting that he doesn't feel the lawsuit has any basis anyway.
Holt said Hartley, who is from Colorado, approved planting Bluegrass on the golf course, even though it's a cold-weather grass. The grass died and had to be replaced with Bermuda grass, Holt said.
Besides grass issues, Holt said the city may not have provided enough effluent, but as per the contract they did provide fresh water to make up the difference.
The election will be held Tuesday, May 15. City Clerk Vicki Vivian said ballots can be cast at the Benson Volunteer Fire Department at 375 E 7th St.
San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Benson voters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, May 15, to choose between Mark Holt and Dianne Tipton for the remaining City Council seat.
The two made it through the primary election with Holt receiving 311 votes, 10 votes shy of being elected outright in the March primary, and Tipton receiving 293.
In the primary there was a 23.9 percent voter turnout with 640 people casting ballets. For the upcoming election City Clerk Vicki Vivian said there are 2,677 registered voters.
In the primary, the candidates elected outright were Mark Fenn for mayor, and for the council, incumbents John Lodzinski and Kathy Suagee and newcomer Al Sacco.
Current Mayor George Scott was eliminated with the lowest number of votes.
In a primary election, candidates must get 50 percent plus one of the votes to be elected outright.
In looking to the upcoming election, both Holt and Tipton have similar ideas on what the city's priorities should be, with growth and the fire department being important and improving the city's utility rate situation.
Tipton said she would like to focus on the drug problem not just with teenagers, but also with adults
The two agreed that changes needed to be made to the Benson Volunteer Fire Department in order to prepare for growth, but said instead of the council voting to go full time they would have liked to hear more about creating a fire district instead.
Besides growth issues, both candidates also agreed that more attention needs to be paid to city utilities and whether or not citizens are being treated fairly.
Holt and Tipton criticized a water and wastewater rate study that led to major rate increases last year. Both agreed that more studies are needed to improve the current situation.
The two candidates have also run into similar issues as the election process has moved forward. Because of friction with some members of the current City Council, the two have been asked how they will be able to work with the same people if elected.
For Holt it's been about whether or not he can work with the same people who voted to terminate him as city manager in 2004.
"Despite what people keep saying, I am not running to be vindictive," Holt said. "I was also not fired. As my contract stated, if I was no longer the city manager, then I would go back to my position as public works director."
While Holt was terminated in a 4-3 vote as city manager, he did go back to being the public works director, a position held until he had to take medical retirement in 2005.
If elected, Holt said he will be able to work with some of the same council members who voted to terminate him as city manager, including Fenn and Suagee.
Holt said there have been bad feelings between him and Mayor Scott that were exacerbated in the 2005 mayoral election , which Scott won.
Scott has endorsed Tipton, saying Holt is not good for the city.
Tipton, who has been critical of Scott, said she's not surprised.
"That was him showing his dislike for Mark Holt and not so much a like for me," she said. "I'm not stupid."
Tipton has also been asked how she will be able to work with the same council members that she has been so critical of over the last year.
Tipton, who often spoke up at meetings and criticized the council, created City Officials Accountable to the People citizens organization. Since running for office she has stopped running the group, which has about 50 members.
"I formed the group because of the city's 'do what they want' attitude," she said. "I wanted city officials to be accountable. They are there for us. A lot of citizens felt helpless - like nothing they do will change anything."
Tipton primarily started getting involved in council activities after she felt her son, a local owner of a manufactured home park, was being mischarged for gas, water and sewer.
"There is that impression that I can be kind of mouthy," she said. "That's true, I guess. I tried every avenue before I got pushy. If being nice isn't going to get the job done, maybe I shouldn't be so nice,"
If elected, Tipton said she would have no problem working with the current council to improve the city, noting that her main problems were with Scott, who was not reelected, and former City Manager Boyd Kraemer.
Besides maintaining a certain level of professionalism with the council, Holt said he has also had to answer to accusations that he's to blame for the pending lawsuit filed against the city in 2006 by Tom Hartley, owner of San Pedro Golf Course.
The lawsuit centers around an agreement for the city to provide the golf course with effluent. However, the city didn't meet the obligations specified in the contract and had to give the golf course free fresh water to make up the difference.
When the agreement was approved by the City Council, Holt was the city manager. However, he said the agreement was approved by the council and not him, noting that he doesn't feel the lawsuit has any basis anyway.
Holt said Hartley, who is from Colorado, approved planting Bluegrass on the golf course, even though it's a cold-weather grass. The grass died and had to be replaced with Bermuda grass, Holt said.
Besides grass issues, Holt said the city may not have provided enough effluent, but as per the contract they did provide fresh water to make up the difference.
The election will be held Tuesday, May 15. City Clerk Vicki Vivian said ballots can be cast at the Benson Volunteer Fire Department at 375 E 7th St.
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