A candidacy for the Hanford City Council was announced Friday by a familiar name in central Hanford, and City Councilman Dan Chin began his campaign for his third term representing the east Hanford district.

These announcements precede the nomination period, which opens on Monday.

In District B, which generally spans the area from downtown up to Magnolia Avenue, City Planning Commissioner Sue Sorensen said she would make a run for the seat, which will be vacated by outgoing councilwoman Marcie Buford.

Buford, a 20-year veteran on the council, has announced not to seek re-election.

In District C, which spans the area whose growth is reflected by Hamilton School and Freedom Park, incumbent Chin is seeking re-election He ran unopposed in 2004.

So far, Sorensen is the only candidate who publicly confirmed a run for District B as well.

"It took thoughtful consideration. It didn't come lightly," Sorensen said Friday.

Sorensen, 55, a dental hygienist who runs a denture lab with her husband Kirk, is no rookie in public service. She has been a local public figure for the last 20 years. She served two terms on the Hanford Elementary School District Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1996 and two terms on the Hanford Joint Union High School District board from 1996 to 2004.

After serving two years on the Hanford recreation commission, she was appointed to the seat on the planning commission, the largest, and perhaps the most prominent, advisory body to the city council.

"Having responsible leaders in our community is invaluable; having fair leaders who listen and value the input of the community is a must," Sorensen said. "And I feel that I've shown that through my past service. I read my information, but I come in to listen to all sides of the situation before making a decision."

A 33-year Hanford resident, mother of three and a grandmother of six, Sorensen says her priorities are: continued improvements in youth recreation opportunities; recruitment and retention of public safety personnel; taking the educational opportunities marked with the Joint Educational Center to the next level; and develop economy by producing quality workforce.

Dan Chin's next move

Veteran downtown businessman Chin, 50, says he felt obliged to run again when Buford, another experienced council member, made it clear she would not run again.

"It became more focused with my intention when I had a conversation with Marcie Buford and she said she would be stepping off," Chin said. "It became more clear that my experience would be needed on the council."

Chin says he wants to follow through with unfinished business that he considers holds a particular importance for the city's future.

Specifically, at the top of his priority list are the improvement of public safety by building a new police station and increasing staffing for the fire department, improving the recreational venues by renovating swimming and park facilities.

Chin's redevelopment aspirations also include the appropriation of money toward a multilevel parking garage in downtown Hanford.

"These projects have been talked about in the past but have never been put on high priority," Chin said. "I'm making them a priority to complete over the next four years."

Wheelchair-bound because of his quadriplegia, Chin was a major advocate behind the city's joint venture with the Hanford Elementary School District to bring forth the Hamilton School-Freedom Park complex, which is marked with an all-accessible playground.

Chin's political career in Hanford, where he was born and raised, began with an appointment to the Hanford City Planning Commission in 1988. In 1998 he was elected to a seat on the Hanford Elementary School board, which he resigned after two years to run for the council.

He won the contested city council race in 2000. He ran unopposed in 2004.

Stepping off the stage

Buford has indicated earlier this year she would likely retire after the current term, which is up in December.

On Friday she confirmed she would not seek re-election.

"I think it's time to have someone else come in and start over, a younger person with more energy," Buford said.

First elected in 1987, Buford has continuously served on the city council, which makes her the longest serving member of the current council. Buford received the Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership Award in 2003.

Buford, a businesswoman, said a key city issue for her remains to be the development of the industrial sector of the economy. "Industry and industrial jobs provide the best economic underpinning for any community," she said. "Whoever gets into the office needs to be aware of the importance of expanding the industrial base by encouraging new businesses and assisting existing small businesses."

Potential candidates

There are at least two residents who have expressed an interest in running for District B, but neither candidacy is confirmed.

Robin Mattos, a community advocate whose husband Andrew Mattos previously ran -- though unsuccessfully -- for the seat in 2004, said she is exploring an opportunity to run for the seat. Mattos finished second in the previous race.

"I'm considering it," Mattos said on Friday. "I still have a period of time to make a decision. At this point, I haven't made a decision yet."

Another former challenger of Buford's in the 2004 race, Jon-Michael Hice, spokesman for First 5 Kings County, said he is eyeing a candidacy in District B as well. Hice was a third-place finisher.

"I'm going to make a choice before the deadline," Hice said Friday.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(July 12, 2008)