WILDOMAR - Bob Cashman drove into the Wildomar area nearly 30 years ago while looking for a place to build his house.

"I thought, this looks like a place. Then I met the people and I knew it was the place," said the 65-year-old city council candidate.

The people Cashman met were interested in what was going on in their community, he said.

"There were way fewer people out here at the time, but when I came out here I noticed a group talking about the future development of Wildomar," he said. "It was a grass-roots group, which I can relate to. It was a group that wanted to do something."

At the time, the big issue in Wildomar was flooding, and the group eventually got the county to dredge drainage channels to divert potential flood water.

"It was a small nonprofit that didn't get any benefit except for themselves and the area," he said.

Area voters will decide Feb. 5 whether to incorporate and, if so, which of the 14 candidates should serve on the inaugural five-person council. Voters also will decide if the council members should be elected on an at-large or a district basis.

The other 13 candidates on the ballot are Sheryl Ade, Gary Andre, Steve Beutz, Martha Bridges, Harv Dykstra, Scott Farnam, Roger Le Clerc, Bridgette Moore, Darrell Ruff, Marsha Swanson, Michael Tierney, Tim Underdown and Paul Williams.

Cashman, a retired aerospace engineer and former Lake Elsinore Unified School District board member, is running on a slate with Moore and Underdown.

He teamed up with those candidates because they share his passion for working to make their community a better place, he said.

Critics contend the trio would dominate the council if elected because they would have the necessary three votes to push an agenda that includes building a Wal-Mart on the east side of town.

Cashman said those critics were doing little more than taking "potshots" from the protective cover of Web sites.

Regarding the Wal-Mart, Cashman said the proposed site, east of Interstate 15 off Bundy Canyon Drive, is a major intersection with inevitable growth. The force of economics, not any candidate, is driving development there, he said.

As for the claim there is some sort of master plan guiding the slate, Cashman said each candidate is independent and there are issues that probably will spark disagreement.

Cashman's civic involvement includes serving as president of the Chamber of Commerce, founder of the Wildomar Historical Society, on the Wildomar Municipal Advisory Council, as president of the Elsinore High PTA and as the chairman of Wildomar Incorporation Now, the committee that helped put incorporation on the ballot.

Th top priority facing the area, he believes, is securing the self-determination and independence of Wildomar through cityhood.

"We have to have that to get the local control and make the right decisions for the people of Wildomar," he said.

Residents of the area, not officials in Riverside, know what is best for the area and how they want their tax money allocated, he said.

As for those who fear cityhood would irreparably change Wildomar for the worse, Cashman said, "The fact is, Wildomar has already changed and it's going to continue to grow."

By becoming a city, Wildomar can preserve the rural areas and make sure they don't slowly vanish into rows of houses, he said.

Another important issue is public safety, Cashman said.

If incorporation is approved, a dedicated police force will allow residents to target specific problems in Wildomar and that dedicated force shouldn't cost the residents more than they are already paying to the county for police service, he said.

Talking about the condition of area roads, Cashman said a city council can use tax money that is going to Riverside County for local improvements and select where the money should be spent and bring in grant money for special projects, such as making dangerous corners and intersections safer.

Managing the effects of growth is another important issue, he said.

As the area grows and more people move in, Cashman said there is a corresponding strain on the infrastructure - overpasses, feeder roads and the area's traffic circulation plan. By becoming a city, Wildomar will be able to manage the cumulative effects of growth and make sure, for instance, that five developments aren't built at the same time along one road.

The key is having the right mix of residential and commercial development so that people can live where they work and shop, he said.

Cashman said that when a city of Wildomar achieves that balance it will be complete.

Contact Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or e-mail aclaverie@californian.com.