Opinion

Musing on Novato: Handicapping the race for Novato City Council

By Paul S. Mamalakis
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 3:59 PM PDT

Paul Jones' Aug. 22 story spotlighted the two incumbents and four challengers vying for the three open seats on the city council. Now that the field is set for the November 6 election, it's time to handicap the race.

Mayor Jeanne MacLeamy believes the city council needs to continue focusing on “fiscal issues, facilities and land use.” During the four years she's been on the council, MacLeamy has curbed her predilection to nitpick, emerged as her own person, and brought a sense of direction, determination and dignity to the office of mayor. Consequently, conventional wisdom suggests that her reelection is all but assured. Many feel, moreover, that MacLeamy should serve a second consecutive term as mayor to complete the work she started.

Touting her stint on the College of Marin board and 12 years as a councilmember, Carole DillonKnutson claims she knows “how to listen to people, and that way I'm able to help constituents in a way someone not as experienced would be unable to do.” Dillon-Knutson's detractors grouse that she hibernates for most of her term - reanimated when election time rolls around. Her political career took a big hit when former Marin County Supervisor Cynthia Murray endorsed rookie Councilmember Judy Arnold to replace her on the board. After a lackluster performance as mayor in 2006, Dillon-Knutson cannot assume she has a lock on reelection.

Among the challengers, Madeline Kellner is far and away the best qualified. She has spent the last 20 years involved in the management of large public-sector enterprises. Kellner has been responsible for overseeing budgets and payrolls bigger than the City of Novato's. Currently, she heads the Planning Commission and Citizens' Budget Advisory Committee. Kellner maintains, “People want the pools, the roads and capital projects taken care of, but we don't have a very good road map.” Despite her impressive credentials, she isn't as well known as most of the other candidates and. is going to have to get up close and personal with Novato voters.

Hoping to capture the “green” vote, Annan Paterson argues, “The city has made some strides, but we need to move faster and harder to increase conservation efforts.” Paterson has an image problem to overcome. Her critics contend she was an also-ran in the 2005 council race, because she lacked the necessary tools to do the job. This perception was reinforced, when she was subsequently passed over by the council to serve out the balance of Judy Arnold's term.

Self-proclaimed neighborhood advocate Eleanor Sluis complains, “The city is geared strictly for economics, and they're not concerned about the impact of overdevelopment.” Finishing last in the 2005 council election, Sluis appears to be a candidate casting about for a constituency.

New to the political scene is Don Ricco Jr. Sounding a populist chord, Ricco says, “What 1 bring is youth ... I'm doing this campaign completely grassroots, so I'm not indebted to anyone.” An unknown quantity, he is going to have to scamper to get on the radar screen of voters.

With an assortment of status-quo, “green” and throw-the-bums-out candidates, this should be quite a lively contest.

Paul S. Mamalakis, a 30-year Novato resident, is a retired complex litigation consultant. He contributes every week to the Novato Advance.

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