POWAY: Budget, growth focus of council race

Candidates weigh in on Wal-Mart, city finances

By GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Friday, October 3, 2008 10:06 PM PDT ∞

POWAY ---- As Poway faces its first budget shortfall, traffic issues and other growing pains, voters will go to the polls Nov. 4 to choose at least one new member for their City Council.

Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack is running for re-election and is on the ballot with challengers Howard Collins, Chuck Cross and Jim Cunningham.

Just as notable as who is on the ballot is the absence of Bob Emery, who has served on the council since the city's incorporation in 1980. Emery, Mayor Mickey Cafagna and Councilman Don Higginson have endorsed Cunningham.

As the council enters a new era, so does the city itself. The council last month cut $1.2 million from its budget, and a proposed expansion of the Wal-Mart on Community Road has furthered a sense among some south Poway residents that their neighborhood is being neglected.

Only one candidate, Collins, has said he opposes the expansion. The other three candidates said they are reserving their opinions until they have seen the actual proposal from Wal-Mart.

"There's not an overwhelming demand for it in Poway by the residents," Collins said this week about the proposed expansion. "The second thing we have to ask ourselves is, 'Do we really need it in Poway?' "

Collins, an 18-year Poway resident who works in the insurance business and has served on several community groups, also said the expansion would bring only low-paying jobs to Poway. The city will not see a boost in tax revenue because the expansion will be to sell groceries, which are tax-exempt, he said. With three sides of the store facing busy streets, Collins also said he is concerned that the expansion would create more traffic.

Boyack said she is not surprised that the Wal-Mart expansion plan has become a political issue in the city because of its potential impact on traffic, but also said it is too early to pass judgment on the proposal.

"Traffic is going to be a major issue with that project," she said. "Those issues have to be addressed before anyone can consider approving it. It's in the heart of the city."

Cunningham, an attorney who has lived in Poway 16 years, also said it would not be appropriate to make a decision about the proposal at this time.

"At this point, Wal-Mart is still in the application phase and has to address significant issues, such as traffic, density issues and the impact of the local community."

Those issues will be addressed later in an environmental impact report, he said.

"I think it's an important debate to have, but leaders have to separate themselves from the emotions of the issues and make informed, intelligent decisions based on facts, not emotions," he said.

Cross, a 24-year city resident and longtime volunteer with the Poway Midland Railroad, said he is waiting for an environmental impact report to be completed and will weigh whether people really want the expansion before making a decision.

"When I had a booth at Community Day, I put out a clip board and asked, 'Are you in favor of the Wal-Mart expansion?' and it was pretty evenly split," he said. "It was kind of surprising, because I had heard so much negative about it."

All four candidates share concerns about how the city's finances have been affected by a sagging national economy.

"The number one issue is the economic impact of the recession combined with the state budget trying to balance itself on the backs of the city," Boyack said. "We've had significant reductions in sales tax revenues, and for the first time in the history of Poway, we are facing possible deficits."

Boyack said the council's biggest challenge will be finding a way to balance the budget without cutting safety services and quality-of-life issues.

"Council members have to make those hard decisions or be voted out," she said.

Collins said maintaining the city budget and a high quality of life is the top challenge for the council. While he said the city should do more outreach to include everybody in the decision-making process, he generally had only praise for Poway officials.

"The city is doing a very good job, and I can't really fault them for anything," he said. "I like what's being done at City Hall. They're looking at things every three months. But with the primary source of revenue being property revenues and sales revenues, you have to be very mindful of having a conservative city operations budget."

Cunningham said the budget is the top issue in the campaign.

"Everything flows from the budget," he said. "Our quality of life. Our ability to fund general services. It all depends on how well we navigate through these difficult economic times."

Cross also called the budget a huge issue for the city, while adding that the water shortage and disaster-preparedness are priorities for him.

"I think for all the state, water is a pretty pressing issue," he said. "We need a reliable supply of drinking water. That's a long-term problem, and it needs to be solved pretty quickly."

With wildfires a constant threat to the city, Cross said the city has to be vigilant in being prepared, and he praises the work it has done so far.

"I think the council's done a great job up to this point, and I'd like to help them continue to be a great city," he said.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.

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