In Arroyo Grande, Richard Waller would bring fresh perspective to office of mayor

Jim Hill faced a tough challenge when he was elected mayor of Arroyo Grande two years ago. He came to power in the wake of a controversy involving former city manager Steve Adams, who was found alone at night in City Hall with a female subordinate. An investigation found no wrongdoing but criticized Adams for poor judgment, and Adams wound up resigning.

When Hill won the election — he came in 95 votes ahead of longtime Mayor Tony Ferrara — we called on him to heal the rift.

“What Arroyo Grande needs now is a leader who will unite the community, restore trust in local government, and who will fairly and impartially represent residents on both sides of the recent battles at City Hall,” we said then.

While Hill has had some successes, Arroyo Grande remains politically divided, and it goes deeper than being at odds over a particular issue. Hill has missed opportunities to dispel a tense, negative atmosphere that sometimes pervades city meetings; he’s been criticized in particular for failing to rein in his supporters and for pushing their agendas.

That’s what led Richard Waller to enter the race:

“Mr. Hill’s conduct is precisely why I decided to run,” he writes on his website. “I had no interest in running until I saw the way council meetings were run, and learned of the huge negative impacts on city government, hence on our town and residents.”

We support Waller because we believe the city needs a fresh start with a new leader. We also found him to be thoughtful and knowledgeable about the issues, as well as a strong proponent for civility and transparency.

While the city has made some strides under Hill’s leadership — we came around to fully support the decision to close the Brisco Road/Highway 101 interchange, for example — we’ve been particularly concerned by the turnover at City Hall, most notably the firing of former City Manager Dianne Thompson, who was in the position less than a year. That can’t be laid entirely at Hill’s feet — the vote to remove her was unanimous — but was someone asleep at the wheel when Thompson was vetted?

We’re concerned, too, about reports that Hill has overstepped his bounds in representing the city’s position.

One example: He was criticized for writing the Federal Trade Commission to raise concerns that Albertsons supermarket might attempt to reacquire its location in Arroyo Grande following the withdrawal of Haggen. In the same letter, he supported Spencer’s Fresh Markets’ efforts to move into the site. (Spencer’s supported Hill’s campaign for mayor.) Hill did not inform other council members of the letter, which led to the adoption of a new policy requiring council members to keep one another in the loop in such situations.

Hill brushed off concerns over the FTC letter as an election-year ploy — again missing an opportunity to mend fences by committing to more transparency.

As for Waller’s background, he has no previous experience as an elected official. However, he has a long career in public service, first in the Navy, later as a Forest Service firefighter and as a teacher. Now retired, he continues to volunteer; his involvements include mule packing in support of wilderness trail projects in the Los Padres National Forest and volunteering for Arroyo Grande In Bloom, which has played a big role in the city’s beautification.

We also like his balanced, common-sense approach to the perennial issue in Arroyo Grande: development.

For instance, he believes the controversial, mixed-use development proposed for East Cherry Avenue is too dense as proposed, but he acknowledges the property “is too small and too far from grower equipment yards to be profitable to be farmed.”

At the same time, Waller is committed to preserving farmland whenever possible, and as a third-generation member of an agricultural family — his family started Waller Seed Co. — he has a deep love and respect for Arroyo Grande and its history.

When it comes to water, Waller is a proponent of regional desalination, and we believe he has the energy and committment to lead that effort.

Bottom line: Arroyo Grande needs a strong leader who approaches issues with fresh eyes and an inclusive, even-handed attitude.

The Tribune strongly endorses Richard Waller for mayor of Arroyo Grande.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 1:08 AM with the headline "In Arroyo Grande, Richard Waller would bring fresh perspective to office of mayor."