By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Mayor, pick one

• Don Mullen, 70, retired surgeon

• Buck Trott, 77, retired commander of Travis Air Force Base, incumbent

• Creighton Sossoman, 61, real estate attorney

Aldermen, pick two

• Larry Rogers, 67, grading contractor

• Hank Ross, 50, landscape architect

• Amy Patterson, 50, veterinarian, incumbent

• Eric Pierson, 31, developer

• Popcorn Manley, 43, truck driver for Wilson Gas

An issue once thought to play into Highland’s upcoming municipal election has been placed on the back burner following a botched effort to advertise the town’s planned extraterritorial jurisdiction hearing.

Town board members originally planned for the hearing to be held Oct. 12, but local newspapers did not run advertisements of the hearing in time to meet the legally mandated period between hearing notification and the hearing itself. Consequently board members had to reschedule the hearing, choosing a date of Nov. 16 — just slightly more than a week after the election.

Even with the postponed hearing, it is likely that sitting board members, who will remain in office until mid-December, will vote on whether to create an ETJ the night of the hearing, said incumbent board member Hank Ross. And regardless, creating an ETJ does not directly impact those who would be voting in the town elections, Ross said.

“The ETJ affects people outside of town much more than people inside the town,” said Ross, 51, a landscape architect who has been on the town board for four years.

An ETJ is an area outside town limits in which residents are not taxed but do fall subject to town ordinances.

Town board candidate Eric Pierson agreed with Ross’ sentiment. But he said despite the fact that those brought under town jurisdiction would not receive board representation in exchange for their falling subject to town ordinances, they should still have a chance to have a say in the matter.

“It really affects a lot of old families that have owned property out there for generations,” said Pierson, 31, a land developer.

Mayoral candidate Don Mullen, 70, a retired surgeon, agreed that the ETJ question shouldn’t play into the election, not so much because of who it would or would not affect but because a consensus exists between candidates.

“It appears that all three candidates for mayor are in favor of ETJ,” Mullen said.

Indeed, Mayor Buck Trott, 77, retired commander of Travis Air Force Base and Highland’s mayor for eight years, and candidate Creighton Zeek Sossomon, 61, a real estate attorney, both have spoken out in favor of the town’s ability to exercise planning control by way of an ETJ, largely for its ability to apply soil and erosion control and subdivision ordinances.

Candidates Popcorn Manley, 43, a truck driver for Wilson Gas, and incumbent alderwoman Amy Patterson, 50, a veterinarian who has been on the town board for 14 years, have previously expressed support for creating an ETJ.

However, candidates have different views when it comes to the issue of finding housing for those who work in Highlands but cannot afford to live there, such as those in the service industry.

“That’s been a problem that the town has been facing for the last 15 years I’m sure of,” Trott said.

So far the town has yet to find any truly viable option to make affordable housing a reality considering the area’s exceptionally high land values, Trott said.

“It’s just almost impossible to get grants,” he said.

A tax credits system could work, but relies on developers to purchase those credits, which often is not part of the bottom line.

“It’s just a Catch-22,” Trott said.

Mullen too looked toward taxes as a way to help cut costs, but instead recommended property tax relief for long-term residents and the elderly. Beyond that there is little that the town can do, he said.

“The town has no way to control prices,” he said.

Mayoral candidate Sossoman said that developers understandably are unwilling to sacrifice valuable land for affordable housing, and that the town itself shouldn’t get involved in the housing business, but that there may exist the opportunity for outside assistance.

“I think the most realistic possibility is some sort of partnership with a private business,” Sossoman said.

The business community may indeed be a place to look to expand the town’s affordable housing options, as Main Street could be a model for smart growth style, mixed-use development, Ross said.

“There’s space up above that is underutilized,” he said.

Currently, the town mandates that apartments in the business district have off-street parking, which limits the ability of building owners to convert their second stories, Ross said.

However, Pierson was less than optimistic about affordable housing’s future in Highlands.

“Economically it’s just not feasible,” he said.

“It’s just probably one thing that won’t happen around here,” he said.

Candidates Larry Rogers, 67, a grading contractor, Manley, and incumbent alderwoman Patterson, could not be reached for comment.