City government in a council/manager system like South Portland’s needs balance to work correctly.

That means balance of duties and responsibilities between the elected and appointed officials and balance within the elected bodies, making sure that many voices are represented and all are heard.

In the four-way race for two seats on the South Portland City Council, we support two candidates who would provide experience with city government and a fresh set of eyes. We endorse Tom Blake and Donald Russell.

Blake is a South Portland native, a retired firefighter and a one-term member of the City Council.

With that experience he understands the strong and weak points of the ways in which the city has been run over many years.

We particularly appreciate his devotion to long-range planning. Too many decisions regarding public facilities have been made piecemeal, without concern for their impacts. Blake says that creating a strategic plan for the city would be a priority for his second term, and would help guide future spending choices.

Blake supports the high school bond referendum.

For the other seat, we endorse Donald Russell, who is making his first run for elective office.

Russell, who operates a marketing business in Knightville, has served as a member of the city’s Planning Board and the Waterfront Market Association.

He would be a champion of small businesses in the still-emerging downtown area that has yet to develop a strong identity in the decade since the Casco Bay Bridge opened, diverting through traffic.

Russell would also be the only member of the council with children in the school system, which is not a requirement for serving, but would provide an important perspective.

Like Blake, he supports the high school bond issue, which we consider a good investment in the city’s future.

Also running are Albert DeMillo Jr., the leading opponent of the school project, and Al Livingston, a current member of the school board.

All of the candidates say they are dedicated to South Portland, but we think that Blake and Russell are the best choices this year.