Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Three vie for council seat

Gary Lowdermilk is the

incumbent for the Prescott City

Council, Ward 2, Seat 2, where

he has served since 2006.

Lowdermilk said jobs are a

major issue currently facing the

city. He said that recruiting businesses

to the area has become

more important an ever after the

recent announcement of

Potlatchs closing.

Lowdermilk said he would

like to see a medical center located

in Prescott so that aid would

be available for emergencies,

especially in the evenings.

I think thats something any

small town ought to try to get,

he said.

On the subject of electricity,

Lowdermilk said he believes the

city has improved, but that

theres always room for

improvement.

He said he voted to buy the

new billing system and said he

now believes rates and bill are

in line with other communities

our size.

With regard to leaves,

Lowdermilk said hes in favor of

the ban.

But I think you have to have

an alternative.

He said hiring a worker to be

dedicated to that task is a step in

the right direction.

Lowdermilk urged anyone

with issues to address the council.

I will do the best I can to

help anybody with anything I

can, he said.

Ron Murphy said survival

is the biggest issue facing

Prescott and that just 12 years ago

the city was a viable community.

Murphy talked about the citys

electric company in terms of a

cash cow. He said that while it is

a money making enterprise, the

electric issue has become a detriment

to businesses.

This has to be fair to consumers

and friendly to businesses,

he said. We still havent

seen a refund on an overbilling of

two years ago.

According to Murphy, electricity

has become a political

tool. He advocates either joining

a cooperative or selling the electric

company outright.

He said he believes there has

to be recruitment for new business

but that the existing businesses

cant be overlooked.

On the subject of leaves, he

said that the council should never

have passed the burn ban and that

he is in favor of rescinding the

ordinance.

Murphy said he believes council

should represent the people.

If 250 people take time to

sign a petition, I think it should be

addressed, not ignored, he said.

He said the citys budget

should be addressed.

We have to stop wasting

money, he said. We need a

council that is concerned about

the welfare of the people rather

than whats best for the city government.

Elaine Williams is a former

city council member. She

resigned that seat because she

moved from that district.

Williams said her year as a

council member makes her a

good choice for the position.

I was elected before and I

filled the position well, she

said. With the year of experience,

I am ready to move and do

whats best for the community

and the citizens of Nevada

County.

Williams said the industrial

situation is the biggest issue facing

the city and that the only

way to recover is to bind

together. While she didnt offer

specifics, she said the council

must do whats right, not

whats popular.

On the subject of leaves,

Williams said she supports the

ban 110 percent, and that she

believes the city has a workable

solution in place with the hiring

of an additional worker designated

for that task.

I think this is workable,

she said, though she added that

it depends on keeping the trucks

running.

With regard to the electric

issue, Williams said she

believes the city is now on the

right track, but only if we stay

on target. She said she believes

a major problem has been the

lack of information.

We have to keep the public

abreast, she said. And we

cant have any uh-ohs.