The people of Palo are gearing up for an uprecedented election.
Fifteen people are fighting for just three spots on the city council.
Just one day away from Vote '09, local government in this flood-ravaged community could get a major makeover.
These calls for change are nothing new.
There are plenty of examples in other towns, where most if not the entire city council was replaced following a natural disaster.
And Palo could be next.
Hit especially hard in 2008.
Then again, just a few months ago.
Now it seems everyone in this town, in one way or another, is trying to change the face of local government.
Kevin Matt.
Randy Moser.
Tom Sanders.
Orlie Workman.
Trent Miller.
And Spider.
All are running for palo city council.
All have yard signs all over town.
And that's not even half the candidates. In all, 15 names are on the ballot, more than anyone in town can ever remember. But, they say, after the Floods of '08, it doesn't come as a surprise.
"Oh yeah, everybody's angry, says Sandy Wood of Palo. We need a change, and we need a big change. We need for them to listen to us."
Sandy Wood spent the day campaigning door-to-door for a candidate who's not even on the ballot.
A last-minute write-in challenger for mayor.
"I'm praying that Palo goes back to being Palo where it was wonderful."
Current city councilmember Al Mengler knows people are still hurting post-flood.
And he knows what that can mean for a city council...post-flood.
"That generally the councils are usually replaced," Mengler says.
Al hopes he's not replaced, but he doesn't mind seeing so many others gunning to serve alongside him.
"Some towns where nobody runs for even council, nobody runs for mayor. That's a shame really."
But Sandy Wood continues: "You know, we've lost so many people here in town, because of the way things have been running...and more want to leave."
Pre-flood, 1,200 people lived here.
Post-flood, the population's down to 900.
And that was before even more flash-flooding this august.
"Who's gonna wanna come here to Palo when there's still a water problem?, asks Wood. And we don't see any evidence of the water problem being solved."
Al says right now the city *is hard at work...on ditches...to control water flow and reroute storm drainage around town, rather than through it.
"If I get defeated, I hope that somebody that maybe has more gumption, more drive than I do gets elected to the council and carries on with what we've got started," Mengler says.
"I'll just be glad when tomorrow's over, says Sandy Wood. Because then we'll know that either things are gonna stay the same or things are gonna get better."
Officially, Al Mengler is running unopposed for his city council spot, though there should be some write-in competition.
The other fifteen candidates are fighting for three spots on the council that will carry four-year terms.
Unprecedented City Council Race in Palo