Five people seek seats on Salmon City Council. Four responded to questions.

SALMON — There are five candidates running for three open city council seats in Salmon this election.

The five candidates seeking the open seats are incumbent Russell (Russ) Chinske, Wayne Talmadge, Gene Gittleson, incumbent Neal James and Robin Phillips.

EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Neal James was the only candidate that did not send us a response. The remaining responses, listed below, were required to be 250 words or less. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing the answers in their entirety, and without any grammatical or style editing.

The general election is on Nov. 7.

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Chinske: I have been teaching in Salmon for the past 20 years. I am originally From Montana but I made Salmon my home years ago and I haven’t regretted that decision once since I made it. I have served one four year term on the Salmon City Council from 2014-2018. I was appointed back to the council in 2020, making me an incumbent for the upcoming election.

Talmadge: I have a degree in Forestry and worked for the Forest Service and Forest Contractors in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington I came to Salmon with the Bear Track Mine as a Purchase Agent and Maintenance Planner and since then I have owned and sold several businesses here in town. I’ve got three children, a son that’s a math professor at BSU in Boise; a daughter that is a physical therapist in Cheney Washington and a daughter in high finance in Scotland. They were all graduates of the Salmon school system.

Gittleson: I am Gene Gittleson. I have lived in Salmon, Idaho for about 40 years. I am running for the position of City Council.
I have been in Law Enforcement for 29 years and have just recently retired from it. I started in 1994 working for the Lemhi Co. Sheriff’s office. In 2000 I went to the Border Patrol. That was short lived and I returned to Salmon, And back to Lemhi Co. Sheriff’s Office. In 2006 I went to Iraq as an International Police Advisor. In 2008 I returned to the Lemhi County Sheriff’s , In 2010 I took a SGT’s position with the Salmon Police Dept, Where I retired from in Sept. 2023.

Phillips: I have 5 grown children and 9 grandchildren. In March of this year I have sold the business that I have operated for the last 25 years and I’m ready for my next challenge. I presently perform the bookkeeping for a Salmon restaurant and previously served 4 years on the Salmon City Council and served on the finance and public safety committee’s. I am an active member of the Eagles and the Elks Lodges.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Chinske: My proudest accomplishment is moving to Salmon and becoming a teacher.

Talmadge: I collaborated with the DEQ and managed the cleanup of an oil spill contaminating the Salmon River

Gittleson did not answer this question.

Phillips: By far my greatest accomplishment was raising five children who are successful adults. Aside from that, I am proud of the fact that I have created multiple successful businesses allowing me to become financially independent.

Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.

Chinske: I’m seeking to keep my position on the Salmon City Council because I enjoy being part of the decision making process of the city business. I do not have a political platform.

Talmadge: I live in a community that I care about for the past 30 years. I have been involved in many organizations as a board member or business manager in both city and county organizations over those 30 years. I have noticed that there needs to be a balance of diverse opinions in all organizations, and I believe that I have something to contribute to this community at this level.

Gittleson did not answer this question.

Phillips: I don’t profess to have a political platform. I see my role as someone who is the voice for the citizens of the community and represents them in making legislative decisions which enhances their family’s wellbeing. I am frugal by nature and am very mindful in how we spend the taxpayer dollars.

What are the greatest challenges facing people in your community? What is your plan to meet those challenges?

Chinske: The greatest challenge facing the City of Salmon is the maintenance of the city water and sewer systems.

Talmadge: The costs of doing business in this community have skyrocketed over the past number of years as well as the influx of people moving into this community. Whether it be the cost of goods or services, taxes, or infrastructure we need to make it affordable for people to live in this community.
I think that making informed and fair decisions about city policies is one way of keeping the lifestyle that the citizens of Salmon have come to appreciate over the years.

Gittleson did not answer this question.

Phillips: Affordable housing is the biggest challenge in Salmon at the present time. Our city isn’t the only community dealing with this issue resulting from the monetary and fiscal policies enacted in Washington DC and causing these inflationary situations. During my previous term on the Council we passed an ordinance allowing ADU, additional dwelling units, to alleviate some of the housing issues and provide an additional source of income for the homeowner.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views?

Chinske: I try to represent the voters of Salmon by listening to feedback of the Council’s decision making process.

Talmadge: I spend a lot of time, like other folks, reading the opinions, stories and news that appear on social media and newspaper here in Salmon. It’s not hard to find out what people are concerned about. I communicate with folks through social media and opinion articles in the newspaper. When it comes to City politics, I don’t find that their political view becomes much of an issue.

Gittleson: I have no agenda; I expect to learn a lot about our local government.

Phillips: How will you communicate directly with constituents? As a business owner for the last 45 years I have dealt with people from all walks of life and both sides of the political aisle. I have always considered myself a good listener and communicator. I don’t have a personal agenda in seeking this position. I have the time and energy to work on behalf of our citizens to represent their views and concerns by making prudent decisions to hopefully enhance their lives and wellbeing.

What areas in your community need immediate improvement? What actions will you take to address those needs?

Chinske: The city water system is old and needs work. Staying ahead of these costs is a challenge and finding funding to keep costs down can be difficult.

Talmadge: Our schools are in dyer need of attention. Roads are in constant need of repair. Affordable housing is yet another issue that is a challenge in our community. By partnering with those organizations, boards of directors and agencies I believe that we can begin to address those issues.

Gittleson: Naturally, I strongly support Emergency Services.

Phillips: The school infrastructure needs improvement. A committee has been formed to address this issue and I will support their efforts.

What parts of the city budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget that cuts could be made?

Chinske: Our budget is tight and it is difficult to make cuts. We could use funding everywhere.

Talmadge: With about a 4.5-million-dollar budget all areas of the city could use more funding. There aren’t any areas that I would make budget cuts without knowing more of the details about all the funds that the city has allocated to.

Gittleson did not answer this question.

Phillips: Salmon does a very good job managing the finances. The tax base is primarily residential with a small Core Commercial segment and no industrial contributor. Streets and alleys would benefit from more funding. The police budget is approaching 1 million dollars and with the Sheriffs Department located in Salmon, I would look for ways to reduce the SPD’s budget.

What is the role of local media in your community? How can city officials work to have a better relationship with the media?

Chinske: The city has a good relationship with our local paper, The Recorder Herald.

Talmadge: There is only social media, the local radio station, and the local newspaper in Salmon. Most folks are getting their news through one of those venues and maybe word of mouth. There are a great many decisions that are made at the City Council meetings, and I would encourage that more information from the city be pushed out through social media and the radio station.

Gittleson: I believe I have a good relationship with our local paper.

Phillips: We are fortunate to have local reporters attending both the City Council and County Commissioner’s meetings. City officials regularly issue press releases to the media for publication and the process works well.