Simonsen campaigning for a Marion City Council seat

Harry Simonsen's campaign for a seat on the Marion City Council is a call for common sense in local government.

There's no one thing that lights his fuse, said Simonsen, 71, who is seeking an at-large seat on the council.

“I'm dissatisfied with the way things are going. Period,” the former CEO of multimillion dollar credit unions said.

He wants to hold the line on spending because the city's $13 million-plus general fund budget is “out of hand” and administrative salaries are “obscene,” Simonsen said.

He also called the Central Corridor Redevelopment Plan to shift traffic off Seventh Avenue “nuts.

After a 17-year career in credit union management, Simonsen worked for the Marion Parks Department until retiring in 2001.

Marion voters will elect council members in Ward 2, Ward 4 and the at-large seat Simonsen is seeking.