Four-way race for mayor shapes up

Dan Kulin

Friday, Feb. 7, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

The final day for candidate filings in Boulder City turned the race for the mayor's office from a one-man show into a four-way contest.

City Councilman Mike Pacini, former Councilman Bill Smith and Ray Collins, a 72-year-old retired newspaper cartoonist, filed to run for mayor on Thursday. They will face incumbent Mayor Bob Ferraro, 67, who has been either a council member or the mayor since 1976.

The council race is also headed to a primary, with seven candidates having filed to run for two seats.

Bryan Nix, a councilman since 1995, filed his bid for re-election Thursday.

The other council candidates are Roger Tobler, Anthony Pakula, Kevin Polk, Richard Bravo, Karla Burton, and Susan Higley.

Bravo, 74, is a retired electrical engineer who has been on the Boulder City Planning Commission for almost five years.

Polk, 42, is executive director of the Boulder City Senior Center.

Burton, 46, retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel and now works as an arbitrator and mediator.

Councilman Doug Scheppmann is not running to keep his seat on the council. Scheppmann was appointed to the council in November to fill the unexpired term of Joe Hardy, who was elected to the Assembly.

The terms of the other two council members, Pacini and Andrea Anderson, expire in 2005. Pacini would retain his seat on the council if his run for the mayor's office is unsuccessful.

If Pacini, 35, is elected mayor, the remaining council members would appoint someone to fill his term or hold a special election.

The four mayoral and seven council candidates will first face off in the April 8 primary election. Early voting for the primary is from March 22 to April 4.

The top two vote getters in the mayoral primary and the top four vote getters in the council primary will move on to the June 3 general election. Early voting for the general is May 17 to May 30.

Boulder City elections are non-partisan and the mayor and council members are all elected at-large.

The mayor is paid $13,894 a year. A council member's annual salary is $11,211.