Mayoral and council candidates at Pinetop Lakeside forum debate Woodland Lake water, housing and public safety

At a Pinetop Lakeside Chamber of Commerce forum, candidates for mayor and one council seat outlined competing approaches to water management, local housing and public safety while agreeing on the need for clearer planning and more community involvement.

The forum was moderated by Michael Bosley and opened by Karen Rubin, the chamber's interim president, who explained time limits and said the event was being streamed. Candidates gave five-minute opening statements and then answered 10 predetermined questions from chamber members.

Tabor Heisler, a mayoral candidate and assistant chief with Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District, framed his campaign around planning and accountability, saying the town must be "a data driven organization" and asking voters to "give me the opportunity" to lead and be held to his statements. He emphasized municipal planning, convening business leaders for economic development and seeking state and federal partnerships for forest-health programs.

Harry Turner, another mayoral candidate, repeatedly raised Woodland Lake as an urgent local issue. He told the audience a public records request showed the town's contract with its irrigation company had expired in January and said council had not publicly discussed the lapse: "In January, our agreement, our contract with the irrigation company expired. Who knew? I'm on the council. I never knew that until I was presented with this information from this public records request." Turner said he has been active with the Save Our Park group and is leading a Woodland Lake Committee to examine dam and water-level needs.

Derek Cavey, running for town council, emphasized representing working families and practical solutions to housing and workforce shortages. On attainable housing he said the issue is a zoning and education challenge: "You gotta have people work live close to where they work," he said, urging openness to apartments and clearer expectations so developers and residents know what to expect.

All three candidates said they want more police presence for traffic enforcement but tied new hires to the town's revenue. Heisler described ride-alongs with officers and said the department has "the same number of sworn positions it had when we incorporated in the early 1980s," urging funding for additional patrols and traffic-calming tools. Turner argued for at least one additional patrol focused on Highway 260 and criticized a recent land purchase, saying the council had overspent the budget before bringing it back under control; he cited a $340,000 purchase of two acres as an example.

On long-term investments such as Woodland Lake Park — which candidates noted is roughly 500 acres — Heisler and other candidates urged caution about upkeep and fire risk given the town's limited budget. Heisler said the town must weigh maintenance costs against revenues and consider partnering with utilities the town does not own.

Candidates converged on several recurring themes: the need for transparent decision-making, clearer planning and zoning rules so business owners know development expectations, and convening local volunteers and grant writers to pursue attainable housing projects. No formal council actions or votes took place at the forum; it was a candidate forum for voter information.

The chamber closed the event after five-minute closing remarks from each candidate. The next procedural step is the election; candidates asked attendees to weigh experience, accountability and presence when they vote.