Our view: Greg Russell best choice for Lancaster mayor

Nearly two years ago, the Eagle-Gazette backed Democrat Greg Russell's candidacy for mayor, stating he would bring a "fresh look" to the mayor's office.

Republican Brian Kuhn won that election and within a year was under scrutiny for his personal and professional dealings. As our reporting earlier this year found, the local GOP's top brass ignored repeated warnings that should have red-flagged him as a candidate.

After Kuhn's resignation from the office in late January, Russell is back to challenge for the open seat, along with Republican David Scheffler and independent candidate Clayton Lunsford — both making their first tries at elective office.

Russell and Lunsford — and even Scheffler to a degree — are campaigning on a change platform with Russell and Lunsford easily distancing themselves from the "good ole' boys network." Scheffler, meanwhile, says he's not a part of the GOP establishment and has only campaigned after repeated encouragement from city residents.

While an intelligent and energetic candidate, Lunsford just isn't prepared enough for the job. If he were a candidate for a seat on city council, he might be more appealing, but the city needs more seasoned and experienced leadership than he can provide at this time.

Which leaves the choice between Russell and Scheffler — two men who love and work hard to better the city and its residents and possess a command of the critical issues. Ultimately, the question comes down to this: Do the people of Lancaster deserve a change, respective of the qualifications of both candidates?

We believe they do and, for that change, Greg Russell is the best choice for mayor in 2017.

There's no question that Scheffler has the qualifications to handle the job well. His private sector experience, the relationships he's cultivated through the years, his expertise, and his sophistication speak well of him as a candidate. His work with Destination Downtown Lancaster has proven to be an asset to the community.

But Russell has the qualifications, relationships, and experience as well. He's run his own business, Tiki Lanes, for decades and served a two-year stint on council. He's an active resident through community service and understands the local business community. As we said two years ago, Russell "would bring a fresh perspective" to the mayor's office.

That's what Lancaster needs. The last few years have given us a mayor who resigned in disgrace and a city council president suing his colleagues, and that's just what happened in the city. Those candidates were backed by a power structure that demands to be challenged.

While we believe Scheffler is qualified, we're not convinced he will challenge the status quo and push back against the political powers enough. Russell 's no-nonsense style will serve the city well. He seems well-suited to push when needed, compromise when necessary and correct to do, and will continue to champion the town throughout the region, state, and country.

That's the right blend of qualifications, relationship, and experience the city needs coming out of the Kuhn scandal. The Eagle-Gazette endorses Greg Russell for the seat.