Mission Viejo City Council

Seven people are vying for two seats on the Mission Viejo City Council in the Nov. 3 election.

Sherri Butterfield

Age: 52.

Occupation: Nonfiction writer and editor.

Background: Former chairwoman and current member of city Planning Commission; chairwoman of city Library Committee; member of city General Plan Advisory Committee; chairwoman of city newsletter committee.

Issues: Advocates setting financial priorities for the city’s future because “we have a community that has come to expect a certain amount of amenities, and we have to find ways to have enough revenue to meet expectations”; will seek ways to “substitute creativity for cold, hard cash”; strongly supports the library bond issue.

William S. Craycraft

Age: 49.

Occupation: Incumbent, businessman.

Background: Advance man for Ronald Reagan and George Bush; former chairman of the Republican Assn. of Orange County; chairman of the city World Cup Soccer training center task force.

Issues: Says first priority is the City Council’s plans for present and future spending; strongly opposes projects that would be paid with bonds; supports rapid completion of city traffic signal synchronization program; opposes unnecessary growth in the size of city government.

Don Heffern

Age: 34.

Occupation: Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigator.

Background: Area representative for Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.

Issues: Wants to see competitive bidding for residential and commercial waste hauling and shorter waste-hauling contracts; favors continued monitoring of gang activities in area; supports the library bond because “the community needs a new library and the longer you wait to build it, the more it will cost later on.”

Edward Kearns

Age: 73.

Occupation: Retired postal foreman.

Background: Past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6024; volunteer for Mission Viejo Meals on Wheels program.

Issues: Opposes “the wanton spending of the taxpayers’ money” by current City Council; opposes bond for new library on ballot, but wants to see library built for less in a different location; contends that many of the projects under consideration by the council could be regional projects, with other cities contributing.

Joseph Lowe

Age: 47.

Occupation: Captain in Orange County Fire Department; part-time real estate agent.

Background: Former chairman and current member of city Planning Commission; Orange County Firefighter of the Year for 1991; named Citizen of the Year by the Saddleback Valley Board of Realtors, for community involvement; former member of Laguna Beach Design Review Board.

Issues: Wants to ensure that the city doesn’t overspend; advocates more business growth within the city; proposes studying an increase in the police force to address major crimes such as homicide and rape.

Gary Manley

Age: 51.

Occupation: Real estate broker.

Background: Past president of Saddleback Valley Board of Realtors; chairman of Citizens Action Committee; board of governors, Saddleback College Foundation; advisory board of Saddleback Community Outreach.

Issues: Opposes spending programs currently considered by City Council; advocates minimizing the number of city employees “to minimize the size of the bureaucracy in Mission Viejo”; says the city needs “people on council who will listen to citizens, even if they disagree with them. We don’t have that now.”

Lawrence Smith

Age: 50.

Occupation: Executive with real estate finance, development and management firm.

Background: Past chairman of Visiting Nurses of Orange County; past president of Mission Viejo Country Club; past chairman of Hospice of Orange County; past chairman of St. Kilian Catholic Church stewardship committee.

Issues: Contends that city officials “have to make decisions today on long-range plans” and that they need creativity “to survive in a financial environment where we don’t have the same resources as last year.”