Editor's note: This is one in a series of profiles of the two candidates running for Escondido mayor and the seven candidates running for two seats on the Escondido City Council in Tuesday's election.

ESCONDIDO -- Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler has seen Escondido change quite a bit during her 14 years on the dais.

A formerly sleepy downtown has begun to flourish once again. A formidable chunk of rock on the west side of the city has been carved out and is taking shape as the Escondido Research and Technology Center, a business park that will include Palomar Pomerado Health's new medical campus. And nearly 1,000 condominiums are being added or are planned for the city's urban core.

But there is still a lot of work to be done, Pfeiler says, which is why she decided to run for a third term.

"It's often difficult to move an agenda forward," Pfeiler said of the council's goals for boosting investment in the city. "In the last several years, we've added more opportunities and (as a result) more opportunities come to the city. … It's just a really exciting time."

Her critics argue that she has been in office too long, and focused more on the needs of developers than those of the city.

But Pfeiler, 49, dismisses those arguments as lacking in vision.

Good governance, she said, is striking a balance between preserving the interests of the community, and allowing that community to grow in order to foster more possibilities for residents and workers.

Elmer Cameron, who served with Pfeiler during her first term on the council, said she has succeeded in that role in part by regularly attending nearly every happening and event in the city.

"She's out there in the community," Cameron said. "She doesn't have to do that, but she does."

And the relationships she has built with local and regional businesses over the years add a level of consistency that helps that goal, said Pfeiler, who grew up in Escondido and joined the council in 1992 as a member before becoming mayor midway through her second term.

Still, as arguably the most recognizable public face on the council, Pfeiler has taken heat for some of the panel's decisions and efforts to bring in more development.

Downtown merchants and other community members vehemently pushed against the council's plans to build an eight-story condominium building in the heart of downtown as part of its efforts to lure a Marriott hotel to a spot next to City Hall. The city and developer later dropped the condos from the hotel plans, which were approved this summer.

Many council members, including Pfeiler, would still like to see some sort of development on the site, and the city is updating its planning guidelines for the area to prepare for any future developments.

Pfeiler describes the debate as "a conversation we (the community) will continue to have," as Escondido continues to reassess its housing and transportation needs.

Escondido's leaders must also deal with changing demographics of the city, which, much like the rest of the county and state, faces an aging population and growth in the Latino community.

Part of Pfeiler's approach to addressing these changes has been trying to position Escondido as a key piece in North County's mosaic of cities.

For the last decade, she has been a member of the San Diego Association of Governments, where she helped develop a comprehensive regional plan to deal with growth, development and other issues.

"We're all butting up against each other, so we need to acknowledge each other," Pfeiler said.

Mickey Cafagna, mayor of Poway and chairman of the association's board of directors, said Pfeiler has played an integral role in getting the county's 18 cities to work together to find solutions to common problems.

"She's very highly respected among her peers, and we all look to her for guidance and leadership on a lot of things," Cafagna said.

A comprehensive approach is also what is needed to deal with illegal immigration in Escondido and other cities, said Pfeiler, who was in the council minority to vote against a recently passed measure barring landlords from renting to illegal immigrants.

During the heated public testimony and council discussion on that matter, as well as other recent agenda items, including the relocation of Palomar Pomerado's hospital, Pfeiler has found herself playing moderator on the dais.

"My challenge is making sure the community is represented fairly, even when the council is fighting among themselves," Pfeiler said.

Councilman Ron Newman, who will step down next month after one term, has at times been at odds with Pfeiler, generally with Newman arguing for more cautious approaches to development.

But Newman said that, although the two may not always agree, Pfeiler's experience, knowledge of the community and ability to work well with others has made her an exemplary leader of Escondido's council.

"I don't know that you could expect any more from a mayor than the way she's performing," Newman said.

Contact staff writer David Fried at (760) 740-5416 or dfried@nctimes.com.