Editor:

In our city of Brentwood, our local election for two City Council seats is key.

The apparent 80-percent disconnect between our current council and the residents of Brentwood was evident in the outcome of the June election’s Measure F. If you look at online campaign-finance reports, we see incumbent Becnel and challenger Cushing have received dubious campaign contributions from local homebuilders and their affiliates, developers and architects that could create a conflict of interest in what should be their independent decision-making role as a councilmember.

Conversely, we see Scott Davis, who at first filing didn’t have contributions to report, has received backing from residents and even returned a $1,000 contribution from an entity in which he could not support their activities; and Joel Bryant, pre-school owner and police chaplain, whose contributions are from individuals in the community and endorsed by police and fire.

In the Oct. 13 Candidates Forum, both Davis and Bryant displayed forceful convictions to listening to the residents of Brentwood and to work to market our bountiful resources to future job-producing businesses. This is who we need to govern as we move forward in Brentwood: representatives who are smart, honest, have common sense, produce novel ideas and who are non-biased and objective in their analysis of the items brought forth to council for their consideration.

We look forward to residents’ ideas and concerns being sought and weighed in shaping Brentwood’s future as we continue our monitored growth in a prolonged uncertain economic climate. Let’s cut the puppet strings, shall we? Vote Davis and Bryant onto Brentwood’s City Council on Nov. 2.

Kathy Griffin, Brentwood