October 19, 2010
By LORI A. CARTER, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
For Petaluma voters, the City Council and mayoral election Nov. 2 provide a distinct choice: reinforcement of the current progressive majority or a change to pro-business interests.
Or perhaps voters will split the difference in the four seats they will be asked to fill. If a sitting councilman wins the mayor's race, his seat — to be appointed by the newly configured council — could become an all-important swing vote.
Four candidates are vying for the mayor's post and nine for the three council seats on the ballot, although two mayoral candidates and one council hopeful haven't campaigned.
All but one of the serious candidates generally fit into either the progressive or pro-business camps.
Members of the current 4-3 majority on the council call themselves proponents of “smart growth,” a set of planning ideologies that stress transit-oriented development and strict environmental oversight of proposed developments.
The minority calls itself more business-friendly, contending that the city's general plan and zoning codes provide most necessary planning oversight.
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