I am extremely perplexed by how you decided whom to endorse for County Council in the 3rd District, where one of the most important issues is preservation — both for the land itself and to protect the water supply used by most of your readers. After all, if it happens in the 3rd District, it eventually comes out of your faucet in the city. The legacy that Councilman T. Bryan McIntire leaves after 16 years is one of preservation, and both candidates have said that they will continue this legacy.
However, at the candidates' forum at Oregon Ridge on the 18th, where I was one of panelists, the candidates were asked about downzoning as a tool for preservation and its relation to property rights. Todd Huff clearly stated that he believes that the two are in conflict and made it pretty clear that he would not downzone anyone's land against their wishes. Ben Sutley correctly pointed out that many courts have agreed that downzoning is not a violation of property rights and he understands its importance for watershed protection.
