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RED BLUFF - A retired farmer, an escrow officer, a retired maintenance worker, a local event promoter and the incumbent mayor are vying for two available seats on the City Council here.

And the candidates' priorities are as diverse as their backgrounds.

Mayor Forrest Flynn is seeking his third consecutive term on the council and fifth overall. The retired cable TV technician sat on the council from 1980 to 1988 and returned in 2000.

But the council will have at least one newcomer because Mayor Pro Tem Dan Irving, an attorney who was appointed to the dais in 2005, declined to seek election.

Enter retired restaurant manager and agricultural worker Gregory Ellis, escrow officer Kris Deiters, retired maintenance worker Frank McCaughey and businessman Bob Carrel, each offering to bring their unique experiences to city government.

Ellis, 46, a three-year city parks and recreation commissioner, has lived in Red Bluff most of his life, other than the dozen years he spent in Vallejo managing a trio of restaurants.

He decided to run for council because he was concerned about growth and maintaining a family friendly community, he said.

"I'm honest, I'm a young person. We need some young blood in there, and people who know this community," Ellis said. "I'm for the children. I'm looking to see a great Boys and Girls Club here for my grandson. I'm really big on that. We have a good city here."

Deiters, 53, moved to Tehama County from the San Francisco Bay area in 1987 and has worked on numerous political campaigns. At the urging of friends, she decided to run for office herself, she said.

In the wake of the recent financial crisis, Deiters wants to promote financial responsibility and attract high-quality jobs if she's elected to the council.

"I think what motivated me this year was that I'm kind of hoping that maybe some new approaches to issues can be taken," Deiters said. "It seems to me that frequently it's kind of the same group of people that are always involved."

Carrel, 66, who moved to Red Bluff from Cottonwood in 1965, is a two-year city planning commissioner. Among his handful of business ventures is work as a promoter of local events.

His love for the community is what made him decide to run, he said. He wants to make sure the city gets its fair share of funding from the state and improves infrastructure on the south end of town.

"I think I have a lot of experience - local experience," Carrel said. "I've been here for going on 40-some years. I've been very much involved with the city and I've stayed involved. ... I just think I have a lot to offer, a lot of wisdom to offer."

McCaughey, 70, worked for nearly 40 years at the Pactiv manufacturing plant just south of town and was a 25-year union official. He also served on the board for a summer home organization.

Among his priorities would be to bring a fire station to the west side of town and see the streets repaired.

"I thought I would give back to the community" by serving on the council, he said. "I've been here all my life and I have some time. ... I would like to think (people) would trust me to be a good steward of city government."

Flynn, 65, is a 42-year Red Bluff resident who moved here as part of his work. Not long after he arrived, he said, he decided it would be home.

He's seeking re-election because he hasn't gotten everything done that he wanted to, and he wants four more years to get it done, he said. Among those tasks is to find alternative revenue to offset the expected loss of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam, he said.

"I attempt to do what's best for the community," Flynn said. "I do not have an agenda, so to speak. I feel like Red Bluff is one of the best communities. ... I'd like to see it stay that way."

Reporter Tim Hearden can be reached at 529-5110 or thearden@redding.com.