Nampa’s Nov. 8 city election ballot is dotted with well-known names. Incumbent Stephen Kren has spent 16 years on the council. Curtis Homer is a four-year council veteran who had been police chief for a dozen years. Some of the challengers should be familiar to voters as well: Bob Henry and Lance McGrath are making their third and second council runs, respectively.

We believe McGrath and Homer provide the best combination of practical city experience and leadership, and get our endorsement.

LANCE MCGRATH

With nearly four years’ experience on Nampa’s Planning and Zoning Commission, McGrath would come to City Council with some valuable experience.

McGrath believes the city can do a better job of encouraging job creation by using the planning process to make sure the right kinds of lands are available for companies looking to locate or expand. With Canyon County’s September jobless rate at 11.6 percent, compared to a statewide figure of 9.0 percent, the council could use some new thinking on economic development.

McGrath also is a strong supporter of public transportation. With growth slowing in Nampa, after years of rapid population gains, this is the time to start thinking ahead about a transportation system that better fuses Canyon and Ada counties. Here again, McGrath’s planning background is a plus.

Kren has cultivated a reputation as a contrarian in his four terms on the council. There is certainly a place for a skeptic on any legislative body; for example, Kren wisely voted against Nampa’s ill-advised and poorly structured contract with former Canyon County Prosecutor John Bujak. But for us, the edge goes to McGrath, because he has better ideas for the future.

CURTIS HOMER

As a member of Nampa’s urban renewal board — a body that includes all four City Council members — Homer offers a reasoned, convincing case for the group’s decision to replace the law enforcement building. Opened in 1977, the building badly needed to be replaced. This, in turn, frees up downtown real estate for a much-needed library.

A 12-year Nampa School Board member, Henry has made urban renewal a centerpiece of his challenge. Henry is disappointed that the group deviated from its plans to build the new public library first. “(This) just fuels mistrust,” he said.

But on this key assertion, Henry’s arguments come up short. The urban renewal plan strikes us as a systemic approach, not a bait and switch.

Henry gets credit for going to court to fight for the release of financial records on the Bujak contract (a deal Homer supports). We appreciate Henry’s watchdog streak, so this is a close call. The slight edge goes to the more experienced candidate, and that’s Homer.

“Our View” is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman’s editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, e-mail editorial@idahostatesman.com.