Atwater City Council appoints new member, hopes for united front amid budget issues

The Atwater City Council has selected a new member who will take the seat vacated by former Councilman Paul Creighton, who won the mayoral race in the November election.

Atwater resident John Cale, 60, was sworn into the seat after he was appointed out of a handful of candidates during a special council meeting Thursday.

Officials hope Cale’s appointment will help turn around the city’s debt and lead the City Council to turn over a new leaf after years of infighting.

“I’m very humbled and honored to be able to sit on the City Council,” Cale said, noting he has been thinking about running for a council seat for several years.

The Atwater City Council held public interviews for each candidate Thursday, asking them questions ranging from the candidates’ views on Atwater’s needs, to how well they could work with other council members.

After the interviews, Cale received three out of four votes. Creighton and council members Cindy Vierra and Danny Ambriz voted in favor of Cale, while Councilman Brian Raymond voted for another candidate.

What set Cale apart was his pride and passion for the city, Creighton said.

“(Cale) is a lifelong resident, his family all lives here, his kids went off to college and came back and he’s extremely well known, loved and respected throughout the community,” Creighton said. “All the candidates expressed their love of Atwater, but his passion and desire to unite the council truly made a difference.”

The City Council experienced particularly nasty infighting over the last two years. Over that time period, there have been six city managers, plus a police chief was ousted.

“At times I don’t think (the council) worked together like they should,” Cale said. “I can come in and help that, motivate to work together instead of being broken.”

Cale said he was a nurse with the volunteer fire department in Atwater before leaving the profession and pursuing environmental health and safety, noting he worked in environmental safety for 25 years before starting up his own consultancy firm during the economic downturn.

Cale also is a survivor of oral cancer.

“Absolutely I think (the cancer battle) helps me bring a perspective to the council,” he said, noting the experience and his time as a nurse helps him empathize with disabled and disadvantaged members of the Atwater community.

Cale said his major focus will be on eliminating the city’s debt and strengthening public safety.

That aligned with Creighton’s vision for Atwater in the near future, which includes unifying the council, liquidating surplus property to pay down the city’s debt and improving staffing and equipment for police and fire services, Creighton said.

This story was originally published December 21, 2018 at 4:52 PM.