Guest Editorial: Sandra Lowe will lead gracefully on City Council

This editorial is from the Sonoma Index-Tribune:

When City of Sonoma voters head to the polls on Nov. 2 — or sit down to fill out their ballots at home — they will have three experienced choices for City Council in James Cribb, Sandra Lowe and Mike Nugent. That in itself is a bit rare, as these races often draw candidates with no political or community board experience, who have no idea what it really takes to plow through 500-pages of reports before each meeting. Or deal with the wrath of an enraged electorate.

All three of this year’s City Council candidates have sat through dozens of public meetings, read plenty of detailed reports and taken heat from Valley voters. That type experience is valuable, as it lessens the learning curve that many new politicians face, allowing the candidate to get right to work. Lowe and Nugent also have election experience, having successfully run for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board of trustees and the Sonoma Valley Health Care District board of directors, respectively. Cribb was appointed to the Planning Commission by former City Council member Gary Edwards.

Cribb makes it clear that housing is his main issue, and he is in favor of sweeping changes to the City’s approach to building, which is probably needed considering the growing depth of our housing crisis. But his free market, “anything goes in housing” attitude might be too freewheeling for Sonoma. As a planning commissioner, he voted in favor of the controversial plan to build three massive houses on Schocken Hill behind City Hall. If Sonoma is to develop, it is affordable and workforce housing that’s needed, not more luxury homes.

Nugent has been a community builder for decades, with 16 years on the hospital board, where he helped navigate the treacherous waters of Measure C in the noble quest to comply with state seismic laws. He helped pass the first parcel tax with more than 80% of the vote, ensuring the financially troubled facility had the funds needed to keep the lights on. As a former firefighter, he’s got good ideas about the ways to enhance our emergency preparedness with drills and a citizen corps to help during evacuations.

Both of these men would bring strong voices to the City Council, and serve their community to the best of their abilities. But with her even-keeled approach and deep ties to Sonoma, Lowe stands out in this year’s flock of candidates. Not only would she bring a needed female perspective to a male-dominated council; she has important connections across the state through her work as a union leader and political strategist. Those connections could lead to new ideas for Sonoma’s old problem, like a program call Landed that helps teachers, nurses and other essential workers buy homes in increasingly expensive neighborhoods. In politics like everything else, it’s all about who you know. And Lowe knows a lot of people, from State Controller Betty Yee to Congressman Mike Thompson.

In recent years, Sonoma voters have supported an exceedingly progressive City Council, driven by Amy Harrington, Logan Harvey and Rachel Hundley. But with all three stepping down from their seats, the current council mix is decidedly more centered. Lowe’s views seem to align best with the voters here in Sonoma, giving us confidence that she will listen and lead in a direction that people can get behind. And when it comes to the toxic divisiveness that has plagued our government, from the White House to Sonoma City Hall, we can get behind Lowe’s motto: “Go hard on the issues, and soft on the people.”

The Index-Tribune endorses Sandra Lowe for Sonoma City Council.

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