EDITORIAL | We choose Callison, but it wasn’t easy

Published 7:00 am Saturday, October 17, 2015

It’s time. After months and months of discussion and debate, election ballots have hit mailboxes and the day has come for Langley to pick its next mayor.

Who is the right person for the job? Frankly, this is a question we’ve wrestled with for weeks. We’ve spoken with Tim Callison and Sharon Emerson at length, listened to them at multiple forums and public events, examined their priorities and spoken with some of their strongest supporters. Our conclusion is that they’re both great candidates and voters can rest their heads easily no matter who they chose. Listen to your gut, or your heart, and Langley will be in good hands.

For us, our gut is telling us Callison is the right person for the job. He’s got the smarts, he’s got the skills and he’s got the support, which in this race may just be the most important factor of all.

The role of a mayor is multifaceted, but in its simplest form the person is responsible for running City Hall and carrying out the policies and vision of the city council. For the administrative part, Emerson’s owned a successful local business for more than 30 years and Callison is a retired vice president from the corporate world. We’re confident both have what it takes to shepherd city staff and put together and manage a multi-million dollar budget.

What this race boils down to is the other part of the job, the part about working cooperatively and cohesively with a city council. It’s our opinion that Emerson will have significantly more challenges in this arena than Callison, and we believe four years of friction between a city council and mayor who don’t see eye to eye is not in the best interest of Langley. It didn’t work in Oak Harbor, it didn’t work with the Island County commissioners and it isn’t working in Congress.

Just so there’s no confusion, we don’t subscribe to the many claims by Callison’s supporters that Emerson lacks the temperament to be an effective mayor. We haven’t seen that to be true, and we’ve watched her weather with professionalism some pretty scathing comments, if not outright attacks, from critics, including those from a city councilwoman. Also, voters should remember that Emerson’s campaign was prefaced by her vocal objections to the controversial funicular and elevator/bridge plans. That she earned the scorn of the city council and mayor, along with some business leaders that supported the project, is hardly a surprise. But even if her criticisms did go too far, embarrassing or offending those in government is hardly reason for disqualification.

Callison’s endorsements by the entire city council and mayor aren’t undeserving, however, as he is more than capable. The guy has obviously done his homework, investing time to learn Langley’s issues and become familiar with the many groups and organizations in which a mayor participates. He clearly loves Langley, and his proposals and visions are consistent with the community’s values.

It should be noted that while Callison’s critics are quick to view him as being the “institution’s” choice, he’s no yes-man. For example, at a recent forum he promised to look into why City Hall is closed on Fridays, that everyone else works that day so why shouldn’t they. We loved that. He’s also against the funicular, a position that seems to be shared by a consensus in Langley.

So, who is the best person for Langley? If Emerson is elected, her first job would be attempting to heal the rift between herself and the city council, a wound not only of her making. She may have set the tone, but the council did the rest — their attendance at Callison’s campaign parties, a letter to the editor, some even pounded pavement to knock on doors on his behalf. It couldn’t have presented a clearer message of, “We don’t want you.”

Callison is just as qualified as Emerson, but without the baggage. This time, he’s the right guy for the job.