By Allison Jarrell
San Juan residents voted for a change in City Hall last week, with council incumbents Larry Kramer and John Taylor ousted from their seats. Voters chose to reelect Councilman Derek Reeve and welcome two newcomers to the dais – Pam Patterson and Kerry Ferguson.
Patterson, an attorney and businesswoman, took the lead early on in the election, claiming the first council seat with 3,334 votes, or about 17.8 percent of the vote. Reeve was reelected with 3,152 votes and Ferguson, an educator and businesswoman, took the final seat with 2,802 votes.
“The residents wanted a change,” Reeve said of the results. “They felt that the current council wasn’t following the desires of the residents.”
Patterson and Ferguson agreed that the people of San Juan were ready for a more responsive council that emphasizes the public’s needs.
“This election reflects voters’ desire to have a city council focused on their needs and the future of our city,” Patterson wrote in an email. “I believe it is a voter mandate to support the San Juan General Plan.”
Patterson said her goals for the upcoming term are to preserve the community’s “village-like character” and to improve upon traffic and water issues in town. Ferguson also wants to focus on historic preservation and water issues, as well as bringing a skatepark to San Juan. Reeve’s focus is on “being more cognizant of the town’s heritage and culture.”
Reeve said he recently spoke with City Manager Karen Brust about organizing a retreat for the new council members this winter. He said it will be a good first step in building a more cohesive council.
