Wright defends record on urban boundaries

So where was 5th District supervisorial candidate Sharon Wright on the Urban Growth Boundary issue when she was on the Santa Rosa city council?

In candidate debates and in campaign mailers, Wright says that as mayor she took a leadership role in gaining consensus on the boundary lines and securing council approval in 1995.

But Bob Higham, one of the co-chairs of the UBG advocates’ group, says he remembers things much differently. Higham says Wright was a latecomer to the cause, only signing on when it appeared it had enough votes to pass the council.

“She was more of an obstructionist and staller than anything else,” Higham said. “Eventually, she came over to our side after she did the bidding of development interests.”

Wright, however, cites her participation in a committee that included Higham and others as evidence of her leadership.

“I supported urban growth boundaries because it was the right thing to do and the business community needed someone to bring them to the table,” Wright said. “We needed to get to the next step. I brought the folks from the business community along.”

Shirlee Zane, Council on Aging CEO who is Wright’s opponent in the 3rd District, has seized upon the controversy as evidence that Wright misportrays her role in order to appear more of an environmentalist.

“Sharon has misrepresented herself, taking credit for something she opposed initially and did not even work on at the grass roots level,” Zane said.

But Wright maintains her role was clear and even won her enemies among her friends.

“I still have developers that are pissed off at me,” Wright said.