Before Gerry Turner, 64, announced his candidacy over the weekend, the only people running for the three open council seats were the three candidates on the ballot: incumbent Toni Smith, 74, and newcomers Carol Hill-Evans, 57, and Genevieve Ray, 63.
The candidates already on the ballot said they welcome the new challenger.
"This is America," Ray said. "I always encourage people to run."
Hill-Evans agreed.
"If somebody wants to come in and feels like they can improve the city, I say have at it," Hill-Evans said.
Turner has endorsed Ray and Hill-Evans, but they have not endorsed him in return. The three are running independent campaigns.
Turner has said he is running in an effort to unseat Smith.
Smith said people already know how much she cares about city residents.
"The truth always lets you free, so if he wants to run let him run, I have no problem with it," Smith said.
The three candidates on the ballot beat out two fellow Democrats in the primary election: incumbents Vickie Washington and Wm. Lee Smallwood.
There have been no Republican challengers, and the only independent candidate, Thelma Wassum, withdrew her bid for the office after Smith said she planned to challenge her candidacy. Wassum said many of the people who had signed her petition to run were not registered
Candidates' hopes: Smith, the only incumbent candidate to make it to the general election, said she plans to keep doing what she has been doing her last three terms. That means supporting the work of the police and fire departments and backing large-scale economic redevelopment projects like the Northwest Triangle.
But she said it also means looking out for the interests of individuals across the city, she said.
"Number one is representing the people of York City," Smith said. "It doesn't matter if they're poor, if they're rich, or whatever, I like to be there with them."
Hill-Evans said her first focus will be getting familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the city council so she can look to pass a "responsible" budget next year -- one that keeps tight reins on spending so taxes stay as close to current levels as possible.
"I plan to do whatever I can to make sure the taxes are stabilized," Hill-Evans said. She also said she's on a campaign to make the city cleaner.
Ray said her goal is to return civility to the council while attacking a few specific problems: the physical decay of neighborhoods, growing lawlessness and people's lack of confidence in the police.
But to address those issues, she said, the city will have to spend its money wisely.
"(We) need to make every single penny of our taxes work in full force," Ray said.
Turner's main focus will be stabilizing taxes and advocating for senior citizens, but he said he will also look into whether the city can impose term limits for council members and the mayor. He said he also wants to change the law that forgives 10 years of city property taxes on houses built in the city and the value of new renovations.
"They should get a break, but it shouldn't be a 10-year break when the rest of us are paying full taxes," Turner said.
Candidate Profiles
Carol Hill-Evans
Party: Democratic
Age: 57
Residence: York City
Family: husband, William, daughters Debbie and Darlene and three grandchildren
Occupation: Human resources generalist at Harley-Davidson
Education: Bachelor's degree in business from Penn State University
Community Involvement: board member for the York County Community Against Racism, founder and vice-president of the Veterans Memorial Park Neighborhood Association, former planning commission member
Genevieve Ray
Party: Democratic
Age: 63
Residence: York City
Family: widowed; three stepsons and two grandchildren
Occupation: Principal of Urban Conservation & Design, a consulting firm in city planning, urban redevelopment, historic preservation and citizen involvement
Education: Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Colorado, Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Community Involvement: Member and past chairwoman of the York City Planning Commission, chairwoman of the York County Economic Development Corp.'s Urban Initiatives Task Force, board member of Planned Parenthood of South Central Pennsylvania, board member and founding board member of Historic York Inc., member of the Women's Giving Circle of the York County Community Foundation, member of the Rotary Club of York
Toni Smith
Party: Democratic
Age: 74
Residence: York City
Family: husband, Ed; children Sandra, Mark, Steve, Mike, Tracy, Todd
Occupation: Owns and operates a beauty salon
Education: Graduated from Dorotee Nun's School in Rome, Italy, and received an operating license from Empire Beauty School plus 500 additional hours to qualify as an instructor
Community Involvement: York City Council member for 11 years; co-founder and member of the Devers Area Neighborhood Association; Democratic Committee Woman; member of numerous other boards and committees: York/Adams Boy Scout Council Recruitment Committee, South George Street Community Partnership Safety Committee, Healthy York County Coalition Gun/Education Task Force, York City United For Equality, YWCA Future Search on Racism and Discrimination, Neighborhoods United, York County Advisory Council Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission board, HIV Prevention/Education, York City Youth Aid Panels board, Vision of Hope board, TREND board, York City Neighborhood Alliance board
Gerry Turner
Party: Democratic
Age: 64
Residence: York City
Family: widowed with three children: sons, Alex and Chris; and daughter, Jackie
Occupation: retired
Education: attended Stephen F. Austin State College in Nacogdoches, Tx., and Arlington State College (now a division of the University of Texas) in Arlington, Tx.; completed various management course
Community Involvement: on the board of directors for the York Youth Movement
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