Let’s drop straight to the bottom-line of the upcoming Black Diamond mayoral and city council elections.

Bottom line: Who will represent the lifestyles and interests of the majority of families who live here?

Sadly, the incumbent mayor has not and does not represent the wishes of the people she vowed to serve.

That the majority wants transparent, reasonable and planned city growth is evidenced by the primary election results overwhelmingly endorsing both the incumbent’s opponent, Dave Gordon and his call for progressive, steady, responsible growth. As residents we are not anti-growth, we are realistic, practical and object to our lifestyle and wallets being devoured by a high-powered national developer.

Despite that irrefutable evidence directing how we want our city to grow incumbent Mayor Olness continues to vow that if re-elected she will continue pursuing her agenda and YarrowBay’s wishes — not ours.

Forget the hot button accusations. It does not matter if her agenda is being driven simply by a massive “I know best” ego or influenced by the hundreds of dollars in political contributions from vested contractors.

Bottom line: Black Diamond residents want progressive, well considered managed growth. Mrs. Olness wants an overnight explosion of massive developments with the city, school districts, road systems, wildlife and environment paying for shortcuts, services and fees that rightfully should be paid by those who stand to profit — developers Yarrow Bay, their subcontractors and retail allies.

That is just wrong.

Black Diamond has a master plan for growth that will responsibly steer our lifestyle into a future of reasonable development and planned expansion. That Mrs. Olness chooses to re-interpret this plan in order to shore up her cause, ignoring the wishes of the plan’s creators and the majority of families, reveals the bottom-line: she is no longer a leader who represents the residents of the city of Black Diamond.

When you’re wrong, you’re wrong, and when the mayor no longer represents the people she vowed to represent then she is wrong and no longer fit to lead. Her open defiance of the majority of residents means that she needs to step aside or be replaced by a mayor who shares the visions of the majority.

In this case our lifestyle will best be represented by Mayor Dave Gordon, and reform City Council candidates Erika Morgan, Janie Edelman and Carol Benson.

Terry W. and Natalie S. Sheely

Black Diamond