Sandpoint council candidates named

SANDPOINT — Six people will vie for the three City Council seats up for election in November.

As the deadline to declare candidacy passed, Joel Aispuro, Jeff Bohnhof, John E. Darling Jr., Mose Dunkel, Robert Jediny and Shannon Williamson will be the names on the ballot, though there is still time to withdraw.  

The seats up for election are currently held by Bob Camp, Stephen Snedden and Williamson.

Snedden and Camp have announced they are not running for re-election.

Council candidates run at large, said City Clerk Maree Peck. With three council positions open, it will be majority vote for the top three. The deadline for candidates to withdraw is Sept. 25, and the deadline for write-in candidates, whose names would not appear on the ballot, is Oct. 10. The election is Nov. 7.

Council members receive a stipend of $400 per month and are eligible for medical, dental and vision through the city.

City officials recently held a candidate workshop where Camp said it has been an "interesting" four years for him as a council member. He said it is "quite an eye opener" to become part of a governmental organization. With six members on council, he said each has their own personality, which can make it "interesting" when it comes time for discussion or voting.

"But don't feel that you can't speak out or if you have a question, to let your opinion be noted in the council meeting," Camp said.

"It's really fun after you get into it and get the routine going."

Snedden, who first sat on council in 2008, listed four reasons he has enjoyed being a councilman. The first, he said, is council members are well informed about what is going on the city. Second, they participate in the process, seeing ideas develop and come to fruition.

"Third, I get this really deep sense of personal satisfaction out of the projects that have come about during the time that I've been on council," Snedden said. "Even if I've never laid a brick at Memorial Field, I feel a personal sense of pride ... and the final (reason) is that you have the opportunity to leave your mark on the city. If you are passionate about a project, you can take that and put it in front of the council, you can work to get it in the budget, and you can see it carried through."

Mary Malone can be reached by email @mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.