ADRIAN CORTES
Since the start of their campaigns for the upcoming November election, Battle Ground City Council candidates Paul Zandamela and Adrian Cortes have not been afraid to voice their opinions against each other’s ideas and policies.
"We are virtually on opposite sides regarding just about everything," Cortes said.
Zandamela is running for re-election to Position No. 3 on the Battle Ground City Council and is being challenged by Cortes. During an Oct. 6 candidate forum put on by the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce and the Clark County League of Women Voters, Cortes and Zandamela were each given a brief minute to introduce themselves and why they are running for City Council.
In his opening statement, Zandamela said he decided to run for re-election this year because he loves the Battle Ground community.
"Like many of you, I am not a politician," Zandamela said. "I got involved because I am concerned about a lot of different things in this community. One person alone can’t make a difference, but that’s why I am thankful there are candidates running this year who think like me."
Cortes echoed the idea of running for City Council because of his love for the community. Having grown up in the Brush Prairie area since the age of 6, Cortes said he believes people run for local government because they deeply care about their community.
"I grew up here and I want to continue to serve my community," Cortes said. "The Rotary club has a motto, ‘service above self.’ That is why I am here."
Adrian Cortes
With the recession and economic downturn still visible in numerous cities including Battle Ground, Cortes said the two most important issues facing Battle Ground residents are jobs and economic development.
As chairman of the Planning Commission and a member of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce Board, Cortes said he has tackled several issues, such as helping to reduce impact fees, standing up against a proposed admissions tax in December and helping to support the Scotton Way Improvement Project.
"If you look at all the issues I have tackled in the past several months, just imagine what I could do on the council in four years," Cortes said.
If elected to the council position, Cortes said he hopes to help promote small businesses and individuals by listening to entrepreneurs and their ideas. He said he knows people want jobs and economic development, and it is the council members’ job to try and make those things happen.
Although Cortes said council members should manage the City’s budget responsibly, he said he doesn’t think that levying new, non-voter-approved taxes to solve the budget issue is a solution. He said he does not support solutions such as an admissions tax, higher utility taxes and more.
When Cortes first decided to run against Zandamela, he said he was prepared to face some challenges.
"When he (Zandamela) ran against John Idsinga in a past race, he called him racist and corrupt, and said he engaged in fraud, which absolutely was not true," Cortes said. "So, I knew how it would be."
Cortes pointed out that he and Zandamela have quite a few differences when it comes to their separate ideas and policies.
"If you look at all of the items I spearheaded, Paul was on the opposite side of all of them," Cortes said. "He was very vocal about wanting an admissions tax and I was very vocal that I was against it. I am all about jobs and economic development."
On his campaign website, Cortes wrote that he does not support levying any new user fees on existing Battle Ground park assets, which he said Zandamela has supported on several occasions.
Cortes, who lost his race against council member Alex Reinhold in 2009, said he has learned an important lesson while running for the council – that he can’t be overconfident.
"I think it’s a bit arrogant to think you are going to win," Cortes said. "Last time I ran, my opponent didn’t do a lot for his campaign, but I still lost. I am going to do the best I can and even if I don’t win, I want to keep continuing to serve the citizens of Battle Ground in any way that I can."
Paul Zandamela
Serving on the Battle Ground City Council since 2008, Zandamela said he is the council member who is not afraid to disagree with other council members and the mayor when he is standing up for what he thinks is right.
Zandamela said the City’s financial situation is one of the most important issues facing the City of Battle Ground and that until the City makes some economic and political changes, its finances will continue to suffer.
"I am fiscally conservative, I have never voted to approve a budget while I have been on the council and I have never voted for any tax increases of any kind," Zandamela said. "I stood up against the 2009 budget because it added a department and increased the size of government, I stood up against the 2010 budget because we used reserves to balance it and I stood up against the 2011 budget because we were increasing taxes to make up for lost revenue."
Another aspect of the City that Zandamela said he is against is the way in which a mayor is selected each year. In Battle Ground, council members are elected by the citizens and then the newly-elected council members nominate and vote on who will be the mayor.
"There are almost 20,000 residents in Battle Ground," Zandamela said. "Yet only three people and the presumptive mayor get to vote on who the mayor is. If I’m elected and if I am ever given the privilege of being mayor, I am going to change that."
Zandamela has been very vocal in his opposition to the City relying on the revenues that come in from increasing taxes such as utility taxes and property taxes. He said he has several ideas which would help the City make money without increasing taxes, including getting rid of the Parks and Recreation Department and moving its functions to another department such as Community Development; hiring a private company to attract people and businesses to the Battle Ground Community Center in order to increase rental revenues; and more.
"If we put a hold on impact fees for the first three months or so, it may hurt us in the beginning, but it is going to benefit us in the long run because we will get many more businesses," Zandamela said.
Zandamela said he has several other ideas for the future, such as creating private and government partnerships in order to build a community pool and soccer fields.
As far as differences between Zandamela and Cortes, Zandamela said he thinks he is more willing to stand up for what he believes in and has been on the opposite side of Cortes’ views and policies.
"He (Cortes) is supported by people who are currently on the council and who have cost the City money," Zandamela said. "I understand finances and I understand business, and we need people who really understand those things. I vote and I stand for what regular people stand for. I am willing to do the right thing, no matter if it makes people like me or not."
All of Cortes’ and Zandamela’s views, issues, plans and policies can be found on their campaign websites. Cortes’ is www.adriancortes.com and Zandamela’s is www.zandamela.com.
