For Wright

We mean this as no disrespect to Sonoma County Supervisor Tim Smith, who is retiring after a distinguished two-decade career of public service. But the last time the 3rd District supervisorial seat was open, Ronald Reagan was still in the White House and Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas.

And most people had never heard of the Internet.

Fortunately, voters in this district, which roughly stretches from central Santa Rosa to Rohnert Park, have some strong candidates to choose from in determining Smith's successor.

The most qualified are Rohnert Park City Councilman Tim Smith -- no relation to Supervisor Smith -- and Sonoma County Planning Commissioner Sharon Wright, a former member of the Santa Rosa City Council. Both Smith and Wright are smart, experienced and clear-thinking professionals who would represent the 3rd District well.

As a council member and former mayor in Rohnert Park, Smith would bring to the job valuable experience in dealing with two of the biggest challenges facing the county -- the demands of casinos and unfunded retirement liabilities.

Along with being very familiar with the casino resort proposed by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria, Smith served as mayor last year when the city renegotiated labor contracts to cut its long-term liability from $56 million to $27.6 million. The county is in the process of having to reduce its obligation to retirees as well -- or somehow find an extra $18 million a year to tuck away.

Although Smith's credentials and zeal are impressive, we recommend Sharon Wright in this election.

Wright, a three-time mayor of Santa Rosa, would bring to the job similar experience in balancing budgets and approving labor contracts. During her 12 years on the Santa Rosa City Council, she was a leader in fiscal responsibility and transportation issues, having been on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the SMART board.

Wright was at the helm when Santa Rosa pushed ahead with The Geysers reclamation project, and she played an integral role in getting Santa Rosa's urban growth boundary on the ballot in 1996 and approved by voters.

Wright has been portrayed as the "business" candidate largely because of the base of her financial support and her work experience with the Chamber of Commerce and Sonoma County Alliance. But her voting record has shown her to be independent of any single political ideology or agenda.

That said, given the loss of high-paying jobs in Sonoma County over the past decade and the county's need for economic development, we see it as incumbent on the region to have leaders who understand the economic, as well as environmental, challenges facing the county. Wright would fit that mold.

The other two candidates in this race are Santa Rosa City Councilwoman Veronica Jacobi and Shirlee Zane, CEO of the Council on Aging.

Jacobi has yet to distinguish herself in just 17 months on the council, and Zane cannot match either Smith or Wright in terms of experience or knowledge of the issues facing the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

The Press Democrat recommends Sharon Wright for the 3rd Supervisorial District in the June 3 primary.