Three vying for council seats

SPIRIT LAKE – Spirit Lake residents will elect three people to the City Council in the Nov. 6 election.

Three people are vying for two, four-year seats. A fourth person is running unopposed for a two-year term.

Jim Lynn is challenging incumbents Shelley Tschida and Gary Ventress, who hope to be re-elected.

Todd Clary, who’s been council president for the last six years, is the sole candidate seeking to finish the two years left on the late Steve Gaddum’s seat.

Lynn is familiar with city government. He spent eight years on the council about 15 or 20 years ago and was mayor pro-tem for a while, he said.

He’s eager to bring the council into the 21st century through modernization, he said. He believes Spirit Lake would benefit from hiring at least a half-time city manager who’d be a trained professional staff person acting on the city’s behalf.

“I think the people on the council and the mayor are doing a great job,” Lynn said. “It’s just that I think things could be a little bit more progressive.”

Tschida and Ventress are running in part on their achievements as current council members.

A new comprehensive plan and traffic management plan are among the issues initiated by the council that they’d like to see through to fruition. They also share the belief that the city’s sewer treatment plant should be expanded.

Meanwhile, Tschida and Lynn said they’d like to encourage more public participation in city activities and the governmental process.

Turn to page 6 for a closer look at the three candidates.