Endorsing in city races is a great way to get a pulse of a municipality.

Including an idiosyncratic city such as Kuna.

What an odd state of affairs is unfolding in the tropical climes of Ada County. A full slate of 10 candidates (the top two vote-getters win). Some odd — and truly unfocused — complaints of conflict of interest. And who says small-town politics is boring?

Let's start by putting that crowded ballot into some perspective. With a population of 13,354, according to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Kuna boasts one candidate for every 1,335 citizens. In order to keep pace, Boise would need a field of 154 City Council candidates, compared to the eight now running.

With such a robust candidate-to-voter ratio, the quick and easy theory is that anything could happen in Tuesday's Kuna elections. If turnout is low, as is typically is in city elections, it's no stretch to imagine a candidate winning with 300 or 400 votes. But with eight challengers running for council, is that a sign of a greater unrest that drives people to the polls?

Beyond the substantive issues in town — the fight over paying for a $30 million sewer plant, the battle over where Idaho Power should install 500,000-volt lines — there is also a debate about whether business owners should serve on the council.

It doesn't seem like it's a specific conflict-of-interest complaint against the incumbents, Richard Cardoza and Trina Stroebel, who both seem perplexed by the issue. And I can understand why. A city council is a citizens' government body, where the officeholders have day jobs. Isn't it inevitable — maybe even desirable — to have a business person's perspective?

I might understand the beef better if some of the candidates had bothered to interview with the editorial board. Two challengers met with us — Briana Buban Vonder-Haar and Corinna Stiles. The rest were no shows. That would include former council member Dave Szplett, who sent me a long e-mail in which he criticized the Statesman's Kuna coverage and touted his own qualifications. "My education, training and experience far overshadow the wanna-bes."

He is, apparently, taking that message to the voters at a campaign website where he beats the conflict-of-interest drum, among other topics. According to his Oct. 1 financial disclosure statement, his only campaign expense was $1, covering a share of a website hosting contract. And at a single buck, Szplett still outspent several of his rivals, at least in the early stages of the race.

Kuna is, in Cardoza's words, "a maverick little town." Looking at this council race, who can argue?

More reading: Click here to read our Kuna council endorsements.

Listen to the candidates: Click here to find audio from Statesman editorial board interviews with the candidates.

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