OCEAN SHORES — In an election year where most of the Harbor's candidates for city government will go unchallenged, Ocean Shores is an entirely different story.
Eleven people have filed for just three spots on the city's five-person council, ensuring heated races for the August primary and November's General Election.
Since Councilman Dave Creighton opted to leave his seat and challenge fellow Councilwoman Terry Veitz, two of the winners will be newcomers to the council when they take office in January.
The Creighton-Veitz matchup may be the most closely-watched city race. Creighton and Veitz were both appointed to the council in 1999, but have been at loggerheads on many big-ticket city issues since then, including the city's sweeping facilities upgrade and the appointment of former police chief Rich McEachin to the city manager's office.
Creighton said he filed against Veitz, who happens to be Ocean Shores' former mayor, to find out what the city's supposed “silent majority” supports.
“I'm being told that the silent majority is OK with the way things are running, yet I'm getting more calls from people who don't go to council meetings complaining,” he said. “If I get elected, it means they're not happy with the status quo. If I lose, they're happy. We'll see.”
Veitz said she anticipated Creighton filing against her, and that her votes on the council reflect what she's hearing from residents. “People say we don't listen, but I'm listening intently,” she said. “I hear good things from the people who refuse to go to council meetings because they're tired of the negativity of a small group of people.”
She points to the council's achievements in her nearly 8- year tenure on the council. “We have sewers, we have a new Convention Center ... our waterways are much improved, we have street renovation program that's begun, we've got some terrific grants for improved school zones and sidewalks, the water improvements continue, we've got a new city facilities plan and our downtown revitalization plan is not dead.”
Veitz said she'll continue to work to ensure city services keep up with growing demand without excessively burdening taxpayers. But Creighton continues to stress Veitz is often in the wrong.
Dissenting voice
He is typically the lone dissenting vote on council decisions. He says he casts the “no” votes because the council rarely considers more than one option.
“Staff is coming forward with basically two options, do nothing, or do it this way, and there are clearly other options that staff is unwilling to bring forward,” he said. “We've got to stop being a rubber stamp operation and work for the people of Ocean Shores.”
Veitz said she's never seen the staff as motivated as they are now, and she's confident what they're bringing to the council is in the best interest of the city. “They're working as a team and they're bringing us things that will move us forward,” she said.
Creighton said the close friendship between Veitz and City Manager Rich McEachin is unhealthy for the city. “I don't believe she can be objective. She couldn't be objective when he was in trouble and she excused herself, so what makes me think she can be objective when it comes to city business and evaluation of the city manager?”
Veitz pointed to her record of excluding herself from all discussion of city business that may relate to her personal life, including the airport and greenbelt usage. “What I do in my personal life and private life is my business. I've never done anything that's brought discredit to this city,” she said.
“I have always been one of the very few councilmembers who leaves the council chambers when things impact me. I have done that even when I was told that it was not necessary. I just felt it was right in my heart,” she added.
Veitz's husband Jim didn't help the bad blood between the two when he attended Creighton's hearings in Aberdeen Municipal Court for failure to appear for a court date stemming from a 1999 conviction for driving under the influence.
“It looks like he's going to play the bad guy throughout the election process,” he said. “I think him attacking me from the personal side of things is actually hurting Terry, and that's too bad.”
Veitz said she had nothing to do with her husband's actions. “I didn't ask him to go, and when I found out that he did, I was pretty angry,” she emphasized.
Regardless, “I think what my husband does as an individual is his business. Unfortunately for him, I sit on the council. If I didn't, it wouldn't have been an issue.”
Despite the animosity, both Creighton and Veitz say they'll stick to the issues. “I'm not going to sling mud, though I have some things that I probably could sling out there. I'm not going to make negativity a part of this election. I don't work as hard as I do to bring negativity to this,” she said.
“I'm going to attack Terry's voting record and the fact that she has had control of the council for six years and nothing got done,” Creighton said.
Since a third candidate for Veitz's seat withdrew, there will be no primary for their race. Half-hour interviews with the two candidates will air on North Beach Community Television throughout the summer.
North Beach Community Television has scheduled a debate for the races without primaries for 6 p.m. August 1 at the Lion's Club.
