And so the race for City Council begins

With Election Day just two months away on Nov. 4, the campaigns for two seats on the South Lake Tahoe City Council will be heating up quickly.

In the running is a mix of one incumbent (Ted Long), two past council members (Hal Cole and Bruce Grego) and three political newcomers (Jonnie Crawford, Warren Kessler and Austin Sass).

And there is no shortage of issues: the stalled convention center project at the state line, plans to build a new City Hall at an estimated cost of $25 million, and the continued lack of sidewalks, to name a few.

In coming weeks, the Tribune will be asking the six candidates questions on these issues and others, and printing their responses.

And we'll be looking for constructive answers to the city's myriad problems. It's easy to play Monday-morning quarterback and criticize the council's past actions, but who will offer viable solutions?

Even if the two winning candidates agree on most topics, they still won't comprise a majority on the five-member council. And so we also would like to know how they would build consensus on the council to move their ideas forward.

Your chance to question the council candidates

We want to hear from our readers: What question would you like to ask the City Council candidates? Send your suggestions to City Editor Elaine Goodman at egoodman@tahoedailytribune.com.