Our view: While there is a definite need for conciliators, there is also a need for well-informed, clear-headed -- and even-tempered -- leaders.

For the past two years, while the business of city government has plodded on, public attention in Murrieta has been trained largely on the growing rift on the City Council, and on the personality and political conflicts that grew more and more heated in the aftermath of a bitter recall.

But with two of three incumbents whose terms are up choosing not to seek re-election, Murrieta residents have an opportunity to dramatically change the makeup -- and the tenor -- of the council, returning a sense of decorum not evident in years.

As is typical in Murrieta, there is no shortage of candidates for the council race, many of them inspired to run by the dysfunction and promising to be the fence-mender. But while there is a definite need for conciliators, there is also a need for well-informed, clear-headed -- and even-tempered -- leaders.

The city's first 15 years have been marked by rapid growth, but within the next five to 10 years that will decline rapidly as the city approaches build-out. That requires a completely different approach to governing -- one more attuned to bringing in businesses that will keep the dollars flowing into city coffers to keep city services at the level residents in recent years have come to expect.

There are a number of qualified candidates in the field this year, but The Californian recommends voters re-elect Rick Gibbs, and install Randon Lane and Gary Thomasian onto the council.

Gibbs first came to office in May 2005, emerging from the scorched earth of the recall. The retired Air Force colonel immediately established himself as a moderating influence on the bitterly divided council and has demonstrated a clear independence and willingness to listen to all arguments. He has been in the forefront of the effort to help restore order to the council -- leading the charge on establishing a city ethics policy, then pushing for it to be put into play twice already.

He is thoughtful and informed in his decision-making, and realistic: While everyone touts the need for more and better jobs in Murrieta, and many candidates say they can bring them here tomorrow, Gibbs understands that it's a slow process with no magic solutions. Similarly, he recognizes that while many people complain about the traffic shopping centers generate, the taxes raised there are what's going to keep the city afloat as the city approaches the end of its fast-growth phase.

In his three years on the Planning Commission, Lane has also demonstrated a clear and strong understanding of the issues, balancing the needs and wishes of residents against the rights of property owners and the greater good of the city. Under his guidance the commission has pushed developers to do more in the way of infrastructure and to make projects more amenable to residents.

Thomasian is a 15-year resident who has served on the Steering Committee, General Plan Committee and most recently was appointed to the Planning Commission. His knowledge of the city and experience on those supporting panels, as well as his willingness to question city staff and listen to residents' concerns, makes him the ideal third person to round out the council.

This is a critical election as Murrieta tries to put the tumult of the last few years behind it. Gibbs, Lane and Thomasian should serve Murrieta well in that regard.