Council members announce run for another 4-year term

Lisa Snedeker

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999 | 11:09 a.m.

The race is on, albeit not officially.

Although municipal candidates cannot file their intent to run before Feb. 23, Henderson City Council members Amanda Cyphers, Andy Hafen and David Wood have informally announced they want to hold onto their four-year seats for another term.

The filing deadline for the May 4 primary is March 5 at 5 p.m. The general election is June 8.

"It's a horse race," Vicki Taylor, spokeswoman for the city, said. "That means if someone wins more than 51 percent of the vote in the primary, they win the seat."

Council members are elected at large, but they are required to live in the ward where they run, Taylor said.

The boundaries of the city's four wards were revised and accepted by the council in December, Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Oaks said.

"When the population of one ward exceeds the population of another ward, we redraw the boundaries," she said. "Everything is represented equally."

Some residents at a recent Calico Ridge Owners' Association meeting complained they were not informed of their ward change, but Oaks said a notice was published in the newspaper and the item was placed on the City Council agenda.

"The council has to adopt an ordinance to do it," Oaks said. "We go above what is required by statute and city charter (to make residents aware of the change)."

Ward changes are historically made every two years and must be done in the year before the general election, Oaks said.

Tonight the council will vote to amend the ward map to change several precincts.

"But the changes do not affect the integrity of the ward map at all," Oaks said.

Ann Barron, former economic development director for Henderson, has announced she intends to make a bid for the Ward II seat currently held by Hafen, the longest-sitting councilman.

Barron said she has been very involved in the community, including senior citizens' activities, for years.

Hafen wants to continue to help the country's fastest-growing city plan its growth.

"I really enjoy doing this," he said. "It's an interesting challenge. I want to do it one more time because I want to be able to help people."

During his past term, Hafen said he helped open the Black Mountain Recreation Center in his neighborhood.

"I'm looking forward to opening up the Whitney Ranch one," he said. "That neighborhood has really waited a long time, through no fault of their own. It's taken longer than anyone wanted."

When Hafen first joined the council, the city had a population of less than 50,000. "Now there is over 150,000," he said. "I've seen two-thirds of the development. That means for two out of every three projects, I've sat on the council. I simply can't remember everything because there's been so much."

Hafen added that while public safety will remain high on his priority list, he wants to get out and talk to residents before revealing his platform.

"I tell people it takes all five of us," he said. "We work well as a team."

Cyphers doesn't want to show her cards just yet either.

The first-term councilwoman who represents Ward I said she followed through on her former campaign promise to make the council a full-time position.

"This is all I do," Cyphers said. "I'm keeping my promise and dedicating my time and efforts to the city."