Two longtime leaders say they’ll compete for Atwater mayoral seat in November election
As Atwater Mayor Paul Creighton finishes his last year at the city’s helm, at least two longtime local leaders are eyeing his soon-to-be vacant seat in the upcoming November election.
Former Merced County Supervisor Mike Nelson, who was a county supervisor from 2003 to 2010, declared his mayoral candidacy Monday in a campaign news release.
Nelson’s candidacy declaration followed that of Atwater City Councilmember John Cale’s, who revealed his intent to run last summer. Cale has served on the City Council since 2018.
Creighton announced in July that he wouldn’t seek reelection, but would instead run for county supervisor. He rescinded that plan the following month, however, stating that he would take a step back from public office and focus on his family and business.
Creighton told the Sun-Star that while he’s heard a number of community members express interest in running, he doesn’t plan to endorse anyone.
“I don’t want to interject my personal opinion or beliefs or favoritism toward one candidate,” he said. “I think the community has done a great example of asking and demanding what they want of their representatives.”
The mayor said he believes he’s leaving Atwater in a “healthy, stable place.” He helped Atwater emerge from years of financial distress after the the city was some $4 million in debt going back to 2012. The city approached the edge of bankruptcy before Creighton and others joined the City Council.
“Hopefully my legacy will be that I left (the city) much better than I received it, and I left it in a position where others can succeed,” Creighton said.
Nelson: bolstering transparency and accountability in Atwater
In addition to his tenure as county supervisor, Nelson over the last three decades has been an Atwater firefighter, a member of the Atwater Elementary School Board of Trustees and served on the Atwater Planning Commission.
The candidate has lived locally for 30-plus years with his wife, Sylvia Nelson, and their children and grandchildren. He runs is business Nelson Enviro, LLC from his home. Nelson’s campaign announcement described his decision to run as “a perfect opportunity to give back to a community that has been so good to me.”
“Atwater is a good place to be, and we want to keep it that way,” he told the Sun-Star in an interview Tuesday.
Nelson said his experience as a public servant prepared him to competently oversee meetings, engage meaningfully with constituents and act as a mentor for effective city leadership.
It was Nelson’s role on the Planning Commission that showed him day-to-day operations in Atwater could be improved, he said. As more community members encouraged him to run for mayor, he eventually agreed. “We need to make some changes,” he said.
If elected, Nelson said he would lead with effective listening and an open mind. A central pillar of his campaign platform is government transparency and accountability — something he said City Hall could improve upon. Too often, residents feel left out of important city processes, Nelson said.
The mayoral candidate described his own frustration in using the “report an issue or a suggestion” link on the city’s website without getting a response.
Nelson said it doesn’t bode well for an everyday residents’ communication with Atwater officials if someone like himself, who has long been involved with local government, struggles to receive an answer from the city.
As mayor, Nelson said he’d strengthen transparency and accountability by prioritizing two-way communication between city officials and residents. That also means encouraging increased civic participation in Atwater — especially among its younger citizens.
Another improvement would be enhancing communication between the city and its residents who don’t speak English as their primary language, Nelson said.
The candidate’s platform also emphasizes economic growth, a key component of which is getting a new Atwater general plan finalized, Nelson said. The plan is a 20-year road map for city growth. Atwater’s most recent plan was adopted in 2000.
Another concern for Nelson is supporting public safety as Atwater’s Measure H half-cent sales tax, which goes toward the city’s police and fire departments, sunsets in 2023.
If elected, Nelson said he would prevent Atwater from backsliding into the kinds of policies that got the city into trouble in the first place. “They’ve done a good job of getting us back on track,” he said of the current City Council. “But I want to make sure we stay on track and keep going forward and upward.”
More information about Nelson can be found on his campaign Facebook page. He will soon be launching a website, too.
Cale says he’ll bring ‘Common Sense Leadership’ to Atwater
Cale too has deep roots in the Atwater community. Long before representing Atwater’s District 1 as a City Council member, he attended Atwater High School. Cale later graduated from Merced College and received his nursing license, leading him to work at local hospitals.
The City Council member’s career also includes working in occupational health and safety, gaining expertise in workplace efficiency and serving in the U.S. Navy.
Cale told the Sun-Star that he decided to run for mayor after Creighton announced he wouldn’t. If elected, Cale said he would keep “the positive momentum going within the city,” noting the strides made in healing Atwater’s financial woes during the four years he served alongside his fellow council members.
Part of that success, Cale said, was converting the City Council into a cohesive group that wasn’t always in agreement, but always worked toward the betterment of Atwater and its residents.
When Cale was appointed to the City Council in 2018, officials hoped he could help turn around the city’s debt and lead Atwater to turn over a new leaf after years of infighting. Cale cited his professional background working to cultivate a positive and safe workplace as an asset in that transformation. He was reelected in 2020.
Cale too was transformed by his role as a City Council member, he said, recalling how a cancer diagnosis turned his former career on its head.
“For a long time I sat there and didn’t know what I was going to do,” Cale said. “When I saw an opportunity to get on the council, I figured it would be a good thing. I can’t believe how much it really changed my life and gave me a purpose.”
The mayoral candidate said he doesn’t consider himself a politician, but a leader. If elected, Cale said he’d continue to foster that camaraderie and motivate the City Council to make the best decisions for Atwater, as underscored by his campaign slogan: “Common Sense Leadership.”
“I feel that one of my biggest strengths is making people understand that their voice is heard,” Cale said of his leadership style. As mayor, Cale said he would prioritize communication between himself, all city departments and the community.
Another tenet of the City Council member’s platform is attracting more businesses and housing to Atwater while improving public safety. Cale too noted that the city must continue to support its police and fire departments after Measure H expires — something that will be more important than ever as the city grows, he said.
More information about Cale’s campaign will soon be available on his website and his Facebook page. He is also hosting a fundraiser May 7.
