Fire safety and regulation of recreational marijuana were hot topics at the candidate forum for County Supervisor of District 5 at the Paradise Town Hall on May 5.
The forum was held by the Butte County chapter of the League of Women Voters and featured incumbent Doug Teeter and candidates Dwight Grumbles, Maurice Huffman and Diana Wright.
All four candidates agreed on the need for more spending on public safety, specifically fire safety in Paradise and Magalia. Each said there has to be an evacuation plan in place and that a drill or rehearsal would be necessary to ensure preparedness in case of future wildfires.
Teeter, current County Supervisor of District 5, stated he plans on bringing back a $150 fire fee back to the Ridge, which would pay for fuel reduction projects. Huffman, a local musician and businessman, said he believed that the Ridge was not prepared for another wildfire like the one in 2008.
The subject of recreational marijuana was brought up by Trevor Waner of the Chico ER during the media’s tun to question the candidates. Wright was the only candidate who was completely against marijuana.
“No one wants to be a neighbor to a commercial marijuana grower,” Wright said.
Commercial marijuana should not be allowed to become a big business in Butte, Wright said, because it leads to homelessness, mental health issues and drug abuse.
Other candidates were not so quick to throw out marijuana as a source of tax revenue. Huffman suggested that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco are, which could pay for education programs.
Teeter agreed that tighter regulations for marijuana would be needed and that the money made from taxing the sale of marijuana could help law enforcement programs.
Grumble stated that he hoped for better oversight of marijuana if it is used for recreation.