With Oakley set to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a city next year, it's a good time to add new energy and ideas on the City Council to guide Oakley into its second decade. For that reason, we endorse Planning Commissioner Jim Frazier to replace longtime council incumbent Pat Anderson on Nov. 4.

To provide continuity and expertise on a council that has for the most part done a good job, we also endorse incumbent council members Kevin Romick and Brad Nix.

Romick distinguished himself last year as Oakley's mayor (under the city's annual rotating mayorship). He was dubbed Mayor Everywhere because he attended and represented Oakley at every meeting, event and festival it was possible to attend.

Romick has also reached out to residents by holding monthly town meetings when he was mayor and writing a column in this newspaper (for no compensation) that has educated residents on governmental issues and processes.

Like Romick before him, Frazier should make an easy transition to the council, having served on the Planning Commission for the past year and a half.

Frazier has also distinguished himself with numerous charitable efforts, including a foundation he set up with his wife Janet in memory of their daughter Stephanie that helps people supporting loved ones in the hospital. He's also co-founded a charity called the Friends of Oakley to help local people in need and is donating his construction services to provide an all-abilities playground in front of the YMCA.

While we have a concern about Nix's sometimes abrasive manner in questioning city staffers at meetings, that is more than offset by his intelligence, knowledge of the issues and articulate ability to advocate on the city's behalf. Nix sits on all of the regional transportation boards and was instrumental in getting the Laurel Road interchange in Oakley added to the Highway 4 Bypass project.

Anderson should be honored for her service to Oakley. She's been there from the city's beginning, serving as Oakley's first mayor, and has performed well in guiding the city thus far.

But it's good for a government to not get too set in its ways and a new person on the board will help Oakley's government move forward.