Friday, November 6, 2009

Bridges to build

Ketchum incumbents win but admit they need to reconnect with voters

---

By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

City Council candidates Jan Hegewald, left, and Baird Gourlay do some last-minute campaigning Tuesday. Gourlay, an incumbent, was re-elected to the council. Express photo by Mark Oliver

When the election music stopped Tuesday, Ketchum's pair of incumbents were sitting back in their chairs. But the win didn't come easy.

And now that it's over, Mayor Randy Hall and City Council President Baird Gourlay said they have bridges to build.

Throughout the election, several candidates attacked the incumbents over a list of their decisions, including the Urban Renewal Agency's $5.56 million debt, approval of the extravagant Warm Springs Ranch Resort, and alleged rudeness to citizens at city meetings.

And it got to voters.

"Honestly, I lost some voter confidence," Gourlay said.

Gourlay took in 460 votes, a far cry from his 2005 tally of 698 votes. In 2005, he came out No. 1, but this year a political newcomer named Nina Jonas, Rickshaw restaurant owner, received 104 more votes than Gourlay.

"She won by a landslide," Gourlay said. "I didn't foresee that."

But Gourlay will stay in office because two council seats were up for grabs. Councilman Charles Conn didn't seek re-election.

Five other candidates were in the race: Lee Chubb—304 votes; attorney Ed Simon—273 votes; Ketchum Community Development Corp. board member Jan Hegewald—214 votes; contractor Carter Ramsay—122 votes; and hotel owner Peter Lewis—54 votes.

Gourlay said Jonas' dominant lead is a sign that constituents are unhappy with how things are going or just don't understand why decisions were made. He said the council needs to improve communication with the public.

Jonas credits her overwhelming lead partly to anti-incumbent votes.

"I garnered a fair amount of support from people who were feeling disdain," she said, adding that many people she knows also voted for Chubb or for mayoral candidate Phyllis Shafran.

During their campaigns, Chubb and Shafran said the incumbents had been acting with disregard for people's demands.

Jonas never went that route, but did claim that as a young businesswoman she'd bring a new perspective. She said voters latched on to her because she made herself "familiar," knocking on doors since the end of September and asking people what they wanted from the council.

"I crashed a few parties on Halloween," she said.

In the mayoral race, incumbent Hall said, like Gourlay, that he was up against his own negatively portrayed reputation.

He said Shafran's 414 votes to his 501 votes is a "clear mandate" that a number of people feel similarly to Shafran, even though her argument that the city's finances have been mismanaged were "specious."

"Phyllis (Shafran) got so many votes because it's easier to believe Ketchum is mismanaged than not to believe," Hall said. "This tells me we've got to do a better job of communicating with the community."

Shafran said she congratulates Hall, "but the majority wanted change." She pointed out that more people voted against Hall than for him.

"I hope he takes the message to heart," she said.

Council candidate Simon, who was critical of the incumbents, made the same point in an interview. He said Shafran and the other non-incumbent running for mayor, Mickey Garcia, earned a total of 521 votes, 20 more than did Hall.

"Mickey (Garcia) was the spoiler," Shafran said, implying that she would have won if Garcia hadn't been in the race.

Garcia couldn't be contacted for this story.

Shafran said she was glad Jonas won a council seat, adding some "new blood" to the administration. Lewis was of the same opinion.

"Hopefully, new ideas will become new actions of the council," he said.

The five other council and mayoral candidates the Express interviewed—Gourlay, Simon, Hegewald, Ramsay, and Hall—also said Jonas was a good move for the city.

"It certainly breaks up the boys' club," Gourlay joked.

Council candidate Chubb declined to talk to the Express when contacted Wednesday.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com