But The Marysville Globe Editorial Board unanimously agrees that Clarence Shaw not only would fit in well on the council, but he also would be superior to incumbent Rob Toyer because he would be another leader, something the council needs.

The city has a terrific mayor and staff, and the council normally agrees with what they do unanimously. But the board needs someone who will question things. The best decisions are not made in a vacuum. They are made when healthy discussions take place. If plans are not questioned, that detailed look into them doesn’t occur.

Shaw is a man who will professionally question city actions to make sure the best decisions are made. Right now council members Jeff Vaughan, Stephen Muller and Jeff Seibert are the only ones who sometimes fill that void.

Shaw, 53, has experience as both a city councilman and school board member. On the council his major accomplishment was an anti-gang measure. There was an uproar when he left quickly around election time, but that was because of a deployment, and he had no other option.

Now retired as an Army Reserve major, he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.

While he has only lived here four years that could be a good thing because he has an outside worldly perspective that others on the council do not have. His experience could be invaluable to the city.

But what also makes his candidacy intriguing is many of his goals are similar to what the council and city already are doing. He wants the city to market itself. He wants the city to have an identity. He wants the city to have a healthy downtown. He wants the city to quit losing business to surrounding areas. He said revenue sales are not where they should be because too many people spend their money elsewhere. That echoes what the mayor and council have been saying for some time.

“We’re sitting on a gold mine,” he said of the city.

Toyer works well with the council and city departments. He is very agreeable. And the city has done a lot of good things the past four years.

But Toyer has fallen short in leadership roles. Specifically, he could have played major roles on two of the city’s most-controversial issues – fireworks and the rural fire authority.

Instead, in both cases, the issues are still undecided.

Shaw has 25 years of experience in human resources in Los Angeles County. He has been a union member and later a manager, while also dealing with contracts and legislative analysis. He has a master’s degree in public administration and as a school board member helped his district obtain more money and better academic scores.

Another question about Toyer is he does not rule out another run at state government. He said he can handle both jobs. But with the city doing so much, should he really share his time?

We say no. We want a council member who will give his all to the council, Clarence Shaw.