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Tim Smith
By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Shirlee Zane will have a challenger after all in her bid for re-election to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.
Former Rohnert Park Councilman Tim Smith launched a bid Wednesday to unseat Zane in the June election, which means that all three supervisorial seats up for grabs will have contested races.
Smith, 57, ran unsuccessfully for the 3rd District supervisor’s seat in 2008, placing third in a June primary, behind former Santa Rosa Councilwoman Sharon Wright and Zane, who went on to claim the seat in November.
An attorney specializing in business and estate planning, Smith served a single four-year term on the Rohnert Park council, including a year as mayor. He was ousted in the November 2008 election, when control of the council shifted to a business-oriented majority.
The 3rd District seat, which represents most of central Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, was held for 20 years by Supervisor Tim Smith, no relation to the former Rohnert Park councilman.
Up until now, Zane, a former Council on Aging chief executive officer and the current board chairwoman, had been unopposed in her re-election bid.
Smith said he was jumping into the race partly to make sure the seat didn’t go uncontested.
“The chance of serving and having an improved supervisor in the seat if nobody runs against the incumbent is nil,” he said. “I think democracy deserves debate.”
Smith on Wednesday pulled nominating papers and paid a $1,340 filing fee to enter the race, which has a filing deadline of March 9.
He also discontinued a blog, California Commons, that he has written on The Press Democrat’s website since 2009.
Smith’s campaign faces a “heavy lift,” said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist.
Zane, 52, is a powerful incumbent with strong ties to some of the same environmental and union support that Smith might court, McCuan said.
“He’s going to need not only money and some organization but folks out on the ground who are going to help him with that heavy lift,” McCuan said.
Zane reported nearly $50,000 in campaign cash last month. Smith said he would seek to chip away at that edge, starting with a $3,000 personal loan to his campaign.
Smith said he had not yet prepared his campaign platform. “I might be what some people perceive as to the left of (Zane) environmentally and to the right of her on fiscal issues,” he said.
He mentioned reducing the county’s rising retirement costs, a campaign Zane has sought to lead. Smith said so far that effort has not produced any results.
“Sonoma County pensions have yet to be addressed,” he said.
Zane countered, saying a report she crafted with Supervisor David Rabbitt will guide pension system changes through contract talks and legislative moves in Sacramento.
“It’s more than a report. It’s a strategic plan with very aggressive goals,” she said.
She welcomed Smith’s challenge, but at the same time lamented it as a “diversion.”
“I’d rather give 110 percent attention to my job,” Zane said.
During his tenure on the City Council, Smith and his allies, including current Mayor Jake Mackenzie, clashed with the Rohnert Park Public Safety Officers’ Association and then-city manager Carl Leivo over employee benefits.
Smith opposed increased benefits and pushed to have them reduced. His 2008 ouster came after a strong campaign from the peace officers’ association targeting him and other incumbents.
Smith said the fight would not limit his county campaign.
“I’ve had labor endorsements and I’m going to actively seek endorsements,” he said.
But many of those endorsements have already been handed out. Mackenzie, the Rohnert Park mayor, for example, has already endorsed Zane.
He called Smith “a close friend” but said he was puzzled over his decision to run, calling it “quixotic.”
The county’s largest environmental group, Sonoma County Conservation Action, endorsed Zane this week.
The leading labor coalition, the North Bay Labor Council, endorsed Zane in 2008. It has not issued endorsements for this election cycle, but its leader said Smith would have to fight hard to wrest its support away from Zane.
“She is a zealous advocate for her constituents,” said Lisa Maldonado, the council’s executive director. “Not just Tim Smith, but any candidate would have to work hard to convince labor that they should change their endorsement.”
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Is this the first time we’ve ever agreed on anything?
I would ask you to apply the same standards to the conservative/business community.
Who has the broad interests of the whole community as a priority?
Yeah, after 35 years I know.
Where is the common ground?
To Canthisbe:
it seems that some of these pesky citizens are starting to cramp government’s style.
Check out this March Conference in L.A.:
http://www.aecom.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f3039b61428d4310VgnVCM100000089e1bacRCRD&vgnextchannel=969d1db9e0a60210VgnVCM1000004c6311acRCRD&vgnextfmt=defaultSome of the subject matter includes;
‘Keeping sight of the public interest in the era of the Tea Party and Agenda 21′.
and…
‘California’s Grand Experiment in Regional and inter-governmental Planning’.
Put on by the American Planning Association, their bible:
Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook:
Model Statutes for Planning and the Management of Change
(I don’t remember voting on any ‘change’)
is a model of municipal oppression.
The culture of governmental arrogance, the disconnect we get from government is ICLEI.
The queen of this mindset is Shirlee Zane.
I don’t know Tim Smith, but if he’s tight with Jake ‘Pothole’ McKenzie, he’s a change agent too, they all are.
This County is tighter with ICLEI than bark on a tree.
We better develop our own cohesive Constitutional culture quick, or we’re gonna be a sick impoverished serf culture.
I don’t think that Tea Party people have a problem with people that believe in sustainability or “SMART” growth as long as they themselves live the sustainability and “SMART” growth lifestyle and use their own money to do so. But when people jet all over the world on taxpayers’ money to Bali, Copenhagen and Rio to attend their sustainability and “SMART” growth conference/parties and want to use the government mechanisms to take other peoples’ money through taxes, higher fees and fines and make the other people subject to their sustainability and “SMART” growth regimes, then I think the Tea Party people have an issue with them and might label them “socialists” even though they prefer to call themselves “enlighten Progressives”.
“Radical”??? property rights,fiscal restraint(living within your means)less government in your lives is RADICAL?
But borrowing billions of dollars from China that our children and grand children will be burdened with,a train to NOWHERE that NO one will ride , being told When you can heat your house or pay the fine,Global warming BOGUS science , ICLEI
etc.
ALWAYS ask yourselves: what is that candidates job skills ?
Is the person un-employed and, if so, WHY?
How long has that person been out of his/her claimed “career.” The person is not a teacher, or a businessman, or a librarian, or anything else if that candidate has been unemployed for years and years. (retirement being the exception).
The world changes. Candidates who offer nothing but statements on being “green” or statements that they must “protect our environment” without having actual employment credentials should be voted DOWN.
@Jevenal: You mean air, opportunity and a couple thousand intelligent voters. While the PD may have let the right wing Tea Party hijack this website (all 25 of them) it’s highly unlikely they can get anyone elected in this district. Why? Because their radical conservative ideology is at odds with how most voters think. Witness the national elections as they trot out weirder and more radical demagogues opposing everything from contraception to the Girl Scouts and witness them calling anyone who believes in sustainability or SMART growth “socialists”. And don’t even get started on their hatred of “illegals”
Conservatives have veered so far to the right that they are losing anyone who had any common sense or could work with others. Let them continue to kvetch and attack and complain on these boards. After all it’s what they do best.
Kirsten, there is nothing between you and Shirley Zane’s Board seat but air and opportunity.
Supervisor Zane is the best kind of elected leader. She works hard, is forthright and outspoken and doesn’t lie or sugarcoat. She cares a lot for the people in her district and as a constituent I have always found her to be a fair and open-minded listener, even when we disagree.She suits the district far better than Mr Smith in her environmental views and her progressive politics.
I AGREE Kirstin! We definitely need someone more conservative to run against these two!!! PLEASE???
Last time, Ms. Zane sent some poor flunky around door to door with a programmed list of answers. Unfortunately, he was unable to discuss any of the real issues at hand and left here wishing he’d never stopped.
NOTE TO VOTERS: Do you like how things are going in Sonoma County? Is this the best we can do? If you want a change – let’s clear out some of our leaders and get fresh people in office that will represent our interests. Let’s book Zane from office. She is part of the group that continue to allow our county to spend money on unnecessary luxuries and waste our money defending lawsuits that should be settled early on. It is time for new leadership.
I would actually like to challenge both of these people. As a home owner and working class citizen, I am a desperately frustrated citizen with our children’s future in mind. I live on a ranch and aspire to reduce my “carbon footprint,” despite not believing we (humans) are responsible for global warming. I have lived in three other countries, serving our military in both war and peace, and I currently fight for our security here at home as a police officer. I recently moved into the county area, just outside the city of Rohnert Park, where I lived for the past 12 years and still own a house. I now have a ranch/farm where I hope to become more self sufficient and teach my kids to be more self reliant, like where I grew up in Penngrove. Santa Rosa is where I earn my living and although I may not have a say in its’ politics I see the end line result of their politicians’ decisions. Yes I am conservative, although I am not registered Republican as one would think of a “conservative;” I would vote for anyone who endeared to my heart and values. I do not trust our political parties as having our best interests in mind. I am especially proud to call myself American as a four generation service member family, although I have never ever believed government will solve our problems. I dream of the idea of returning Sonoma County to its’ sustainable livelyhood through a combination of agriculture, business and innovation.
It is good to see someone stepping in to challenge Ms. Zane. No one should run unopposed, especially in these days in which so much is fluid and so many political decisions are affecting us in myriad ways.
I would really prefer though that someone else also enter the race. Those of us who vote for more conservative candidates than either of these two would like to have a choice too. Anyone who fits the bill willing?