Challenger prompts race for Rohnert Park City Council

Rohnert Park, a city that has had few contentious political fights recently, almost canceled this November’s City Council election when no challengers came forward to contest two seats on the ballot. Then David Grundman, a civil engineer and political newcomer, stepped up on the last day to join the race, ensuring no automatic win for incumbents Pam Stafford and Amy Ahanotu.

While Grundman’s entry means that voters will decide the makeup of the council for the first time since 2010, his lack of campaign funds and limited visibility gives him long odds at winning one of the two seats held by Stafford and Ahanotu, who are both running for another four-year term.

The future council will be tasked with continuing Rohnert Park’s climb back to financial health after flirting with bankruptcy three years ago; managing an estimated $12 million in annual payments from the Graton Resort and Casino to offset the impacts of the year-old gambling complex; and overseeing a slew of developments that are poised to add the first houses built in Rohnert Park in 25 years and change the makeup of Sonoma County’s third largest city.

Though the stakes are high, the election has been anything but competitive. The only planned candidate forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, was canceled due to a scheduling conflict. The three candidates have been knocking on doors and sharing their campaign messages with voters.

Grundman, 67, said he is telling voters that the current council spends too much taxpayer money. He contends he would be a more prudent fiscal manager.

“Wasteful government spending is a real problem in Rohnert Park,” he said. “I have the ability to take a forensic approach to analyzing records. I can connect the dots and find answers. When I looked into it, I found ways that they are just wasting money.”

Fiscal decisions he did not support include allowing the Sonoma Mountain Village developers to avoid repaying a $1 million loan from the redevelopment fund; spending $124,000 on an election to extend a sales tax two years before it was set to expire; and spending more than $8 million on a new city hall.

In their conversations with voters, Stafford and Ahanotu have been touting their experience helping the city emerge from a crippling deficit. Stafford, 65, an aerobics instructor with the Rohnert Park Recreation Department, said that a lack of contention and acrimony from residents at City Council meetings shows that people are satisfied with the current leadership.

“I’m not hearing a lot of complaints,” she said. “No one says they don’t like the direction of the city. I like where we are, I like where we are heading and I want to see it continue.”

If re-elected, Stafford said her priorities for the next four years include ushering in new development, like the 1,600-home University District project that broke ground this summer in east Rohnert Park, and adding to the reserve fund, as the city did this year for the first time in a decade.

Ahanotu, 56, the Rohnert Park branch manager of Redwood Credit Union, said his business acumen has helped Rohnert Park attract new commercial development and create jobs. He said he has delivered on campaign promises he made when he first ran for office in 2010.

“I promised to create jobs. Unemployment has dropped in the city,” he said. “I promised we were going to have a balanced budget. We now have a balanced budget. It’s not just saying it, it’s doing it. I have accomplished everything I promised and then some.”

Businesses that have recently located in Rohnert Park include Walgreens, Chipotle, two fitness chains, Amy’s Kitchen, Oxford Suites and Flipside Brewhouse. The city has created other jobs in the construction sector by approving housing projects, paving roads and replacing its main sewer line.

Ahanotu denied that current city leaders are spending money wastefully.

“Being fiscally responsible is very important to me,” he said. “I will make sure that we spend judiciously.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com.