One of the toughest decisions thus far in endorsing candidates for the upcoming Nov. 4 election has been determining who is best suited to serve La Quinta on the City Council.

The fact of the matter is that all the candidates running for La Quinta City Council are qualified and impressive. They are involved community people — every one of them.

But there are only two, four-year seats available and after a painstaking process, we narrowed our choices down to Ed Alderson and Bob Wright.

Alderson, 72, not only knows La Quinta, he understands building, management, design and city planning. He has been on the La Quinta Planning Commission for four years, two of those years as the chairman of the commission. He's focused on smart growth, the environment and water conservation. A retired construction manager, Alderson says he would bring common sense and accountability to the council, and we agree.

Wright, 58, also has put in the time to improve his community. He has been in the nursery industry for 40 years, has served for 14 years as the city's commissioner for the Historical Preservation Commission and is a past board member of the La Quinta Historical Society, among other boards and commissions. He represents the business community, has a good working relationship with area seniors and has young children, so he can relate to the needs of new families moving to the city. We are excited to see what he can do as a member of the City Council.

The sole incumbent in this race, Stanley Sniff, has served La Quinta well for many years. He was first elected in 1986 and has attended every council meeting and voted on every issue. He has led and helped shape the city to what it is today and he has done it with intelligence, remarkable insight and humor. His service is impressive and appreciated. Our sincere thanks go out to Sniff.

But La Quinta is ready for a change and with so many highly qualified candidates, we see this election as an opportunity to bring new talent on board.

SilverRock Resort: Some people love it; some feel it's a drain. Whatever the opinions of residents may be, the city-owned golf course and resort is in La Quinta to stay. With the Classic Club being dropped from the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the Hope will be more centralized as a La Quinta tournament. Next year, SilverRock will again be in the Hope rotation, one of three Hope courses in La Quinta in 2009. That is good news for the resort.

Both Alderson and Wright understand this and are taking realistic approaches that balance each other. Alderson says the city has to make SilverRock fly, but in this economy, fiscal responsibility must be taken and moving ahead with a hotel is not feasible. Wright wants to move ahead on the $25 million club house and use redevelopment funds to help pay for it.

Wright also wants to concentrate on the following for La Quinta:

Avoid annexations at this time because they do not make financial sense.

Create a public safety commission.

Hold casual meetings over coffee with residents to understand their concerns, consider their ideas and get the community involved.

Alderson said he believes:

The Village and the Cove are in dire need of attention and redevelopment.

Commercial development along Highway 111 should include a variety of businesses the community needs and not be just a fast-food strip.

The city must find innovative ways to increase the transient occupancy tax visitors pay for hotel stays.

As we've said, the candidates in this race are very impressive. To point out one more, 38-year-old Larry Pughe is definitely someone to watch. With a little more community activism under his belt, he could be a great La Quinta leader in the near future.