Lake Havasu City is fortunate that no matter who voters choose when they go to the polls next week, the city will be in good hands. It’s clear that all six candidates seeking a seat on the Council care deeply for this community and although they have different ideas about how it should operate, they all want to see Lake Havasu City thrive.
That said, there’s once current Council member who stands out among the others. In her previous two terms on the Council, Michele Lin has shown a willingness to weigh all sides of issues and ask challenging questions of staff.
It was illuminating to watch her struggle with the question of whether to raise property taxes for Lake Havasu City homeowners. Ultimately, she voted against the proposal, but she was in the minority. As a small business owner and mother of five children, Lin brings a necessary perspective to the Council and she’ll continue to serve Lake Havasu City well in another term — especially as it deals with unprecedented issues of growth, taxes and drought, among other issues.
That’s not to say the other incumbents, Jim Dolan and Jeni Coke, don’t deserve another round on the council. On the contrary, they have been instrumental into transforming the council from a rubber stamp into the engaged group it is today. Likewise, each of the incumbents —Mark Curry, Morgan Braden and David Diaz — bring important skillsets to the table.
This is as good of a group of candidates as Lake Havasu City voters have had in a long time. There are no bad choices. We hope those who don’t get selected will choose to serve in other ways.