Councilman facing two rookies

Published 11:05 pm Tuesday, July 31, 2007

GOLD BAR – Two political newcomers are competing with an incumbent councilman for a seat on the Gold Bar City Council in the all-mail primary election.

Jay Prueher and Susan Forbes will be running in their first election while Robert Amenn will be seeking re-election.

Two of the candidates will advance to the general election. Ballots are due Aug. 21.

Amenn said he has helped the city balance its budget despite financial difficulties. His top issue is to increase police presence in town, said Amenn, 41, a software engineer.

“There’s nothing more important than public safety,” he said.

Amenn, elected to the position in 2003, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2005.

Forbes, 51, works as an administrative assistant for a local water district.

The city can do a better job to help the public get involved in its decision-making, Forbes said. The current council has held several special meetings with short notice, which she believes didn’t help involve people in the process, she said.

City leaders need to listen to people to make decisions for the city’s future, Forbes said.

“I’m willing to listen to them,” she said.

Prueher, a retired marine engineer, said Gold Bar is growing too fast and adding too many houses. He supports managed growth to protect the town’s beautiful environment, Prueher, 62, said.

“If we don’t preserve the environment up here, nobody will have a pretty place to go,” he said.

Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.