Lynn Goodell spent 24 years working for the city, retiring as the director of Housing and Neighborhood Development. It’s experience he figures will make him a good member of the Lawrence City Commission.

“One thing I learned in 24 years with the city is how much everything matters to all of you,” Goodell said recently at a forum for city commission candidates. “I’ve got experience getting things done for you.”

On the campaign circuit, Goodell bills himself as the man to build bridges across the often-fractious divides of Lawrence politics.

“Why do we have to fight all the time?” he said. “We spend more time fighting than we do getting stuff done.”

The consensus-building approach would be applied to Lawrences growth issues if Goodell was elected. But Goodell believes city leadership has done a good job, so far, of managing growth.

“My approach would be to continue meetings with all interested groups in order to decide what kind of community we want Lawrence to be,” he said. “Once that decision is made, and that will include a lot of give and take, good planning will follow.

“As important, or more so, is how we implement plans,” he said. “We must be careful not to allow serious deviations from approved plans.”

Goodell’s spirit of finding the middle ground even finds its way to tough budget issues. Given a choice between higher taxes or fewer services, he chooses a little bit of both.

“I would prefer to balance the budget by reaching a compromise between raising taxes and cutting services,” he said. “I believe the citizens of Lawrence would prefer the same.”

But Goodell also urges caution about government’s role in finding solutions to issues facing the community.

“I like to solve a problem without creating more problems,” he said at the recent forum. “I think we’ve done some of that in the past.”

¢More election stories, voting information and links to download a voter registration form and an application for an advanced ballot