The Leader recommends Neal, Brown, Etchegoin, Blair for Lemoore City Council

We need more of those kinds of leaders, the kind who care more about the safety and prosperity of its citizens than the massaging of their own egos. With that in mind The Leader, after careful consideration, recommends that voters on November 8 pick from a mostly impressive array of candidates this year, by re-electing Eddie Neal and electing for the first time Ray Etchegoin, Dave Brown or Holly Blair, all of whom have carved a special place in their community with their long-term effort to make Lemoore a better place.

Four years ago began a period of turmoil, and it was a time when a cadre of would-be leaders, led by Mayor Billy Siegel and Councilmember John Gordon, forced their “misguided” vision on the citizens of our town. In due time, they managed to shut down the city’s planning department, tried to sell off the Municipal Golf Course, fired a competent city manager who had served this city loyally for over 20 years, and then sadly hired a “crony” and clearly unqualified city manager to run the city.

Such actions prompted a group of citizens to attempt a “recall” of Mayor Siegel, an effort that fell well short of its mark.

It was indeed a difficult time as many of Lemoore’s citizens simply felt left out – and sometimes maligned – when publicly voicing opinions that clashed with some councilmembers vision of Lemoore.

When they weren’t dismantling the city, some councilmembers found time to treat Lemoore’s citizens badly, as if they were second class persons who had no right to question leadership. Just ask anyone who dared challenge the former mayor at regular council meetings, or speak with any of the 200 or so citizens who in 2013 emphatically testified before the council that the people of Lemoore should not accept the mayor’s recommendation to shut down the planning department.

On that fateful spring night, at least three misguided councilmembers refused to listen to the thoughtful pleas of many of their citizens and instead voted 3-2 to shutter the planning department. Only one civic-minded person, of the approximately 200 in the civic auditorium that night, spoke out in favor of the council’s action. Councilmembers Eddie Neal and Willard Rodarmel wisely voted against the measure.

A new council, elected late in 2014, began the process of healing this city. They, along with Councilmember Neal, returned common sense to a fractured city. They put an end to the foolish idea of selling the golf course and hired a highly educated and competent city manager to lead the city. The council then demoted the most controversial mayor in the history of Lemoore, booting Siegel out of office before his term expired, the first time such an action had been taken against a Lemoore mayor.

Now the wise voters of Lemoore have another choice before them come November 8, and many may have already voted thanks to mail-in ballots. The question this election season is: Will we continue to elect responsible leaders who will follow the lead of Madrigal, Chedester and Neal?

Madrigal and Chedester aren’t on the ballot, but Neal is, and he’s seeking a second term. He deserves it. When Siegel, Gordon and to a lesser extent, Mayor Lois Wynne, held the reins of the city in 2013, it was Neal who issued an emphatic NO to closing the planning department, said NO to hiring a clearly unqualified city manager, said NO to selling the golf course, and then issued a welcome YES to hiring a clearly qualified manager who immediately set about restoring stability to city government.

Mr. Neal has earned the right to another four-year term for his longstanding adherence to the values that make this community strong and for his advocacy for youth endeavors such as Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs and the Police Activities League.

There are other clear choices in this election, and it is important that we elect people who truly care about their community, who want to see it thrive, who want to preserve the safe harbor we have created for ourselves. We want leaders who will listen to those who express ideas different from their own. We don’t want elected officials who argue with and belittle citizens simply for expressing their thoughts.

Our elected leaders should come well prepared, the result of a history of service to their community. Council service would simply serve as an extension of that community involvement.

What this community does not want or need is a candidate who brings a sense of enmity or misguided grievances to the council dais. Six of the seven persons seeking one of three city council seats are running for the right reasons: to serve their community and make Lemoore a better place.

Candidates Eddie Neal, Ray Etchegoin, Dave Brown, Holly Blair, Angela Valenzuela, and Beverly Halliman are all running for the right reasons. They bear no grudges or grievances. Their only motivation: to serve a community which has been good to them.

Sadly, Mr. Halliman, a friend of The Leader, has decided not to pursue a seat, though his name remains on the ballot.

At least five of the six candidates still in the race support Measure K, the public safety measure that will ensure a stable county-wide source of revenue and raise upwards of $ 4 million per year for Kings County, perhaps $675,000 of that to be directed to Lemoore public safety, including fire and police.

Former Lemoore Recreation Department Director Joe Simonson is also running for city council. Earlier this year, Simonson was placed on administrative leave by the city manager and later investigated for reasons known only to a handful of city officials. Simonson opted to retire and took with him a $100,000 settlement from the city. The people of Lemoore would be wise to question his reasons for running.

Despite two requests to determine his Measure K stance, he has as of this writing, declined to state his preference. However, he did cite in a Hanford Sentinel article that he didn’t want “measures and bonds to become Lemoore’s way to solvency.”

Editor's note: Mr. Simonson confirmed at a Thursday night (Oct. 21) candidate's forum that he is in fact opposed to Measure K, the only candidate to express his or her opposition to the public safety measure.

Again, The Leader recommends voters elect Eddie Neal to a second term. He has certainly earned it. We also recommend a longtime member of the community, Ray Etchegoin, who spends much of his spare time with the Kings Lions Club raising money for community organizations and helping rehabilitate the Lemoore Senior Center, among other activities.

We also recommend Dave Brown, the former Lemoore planning commissioner who defiantly resigned from the commission during those difficult days in 2013 when Mayor Siegel, along with councilmembers Gordon and Wynn, foolishly shuttered the planning department.

We also recommend voters consider Holly Blair, a hard-working teacher who has a history of service with the Lemoore Lions and Kiwanis clubs, American Legion Auxiliary and her church, St. Peter’s in Lemoore. She has studied the issues, attends council meetings, and earned the right to be considered.