Wednesday, March 26, 2003 | 11:46 a.m.
Age: 37.
Occupation: Co-owner Home Hardware and Variety.
Education: Brigham Young University, bachelor of science in accounting.
Endorsements: Nevada Concerned Citizens.
Bryan Nix
Age: 49.
Occupation: Senior appeals officer for the Nevada Department of Administration, Hearings Division, director of the state Victim of Crime Program, and City Councilman for past eight years.
Education: University of Nevada, Las Vegas bachelor of arts in criminal justice , University of Denver Law School.
Endorsements: None.
Karla Burton
Age: 46.
Occupation: Mediator and arbitrator, attorney.
Education: Louisiana State University, bachelor of arts in journalism, University of Southern California master of science, University of San Diego law school and Georgetown University master of laws.
Endorsements: None.
Susan Higley
Could not be reached for interview.
Anthony Pakula
Age: 74.
Occupation: Retired Detroit Police Department and Hoover Dam maintenance worker.
Education: Attended Wayne State University in Detroit, no degree.
Endorsements: None.
Dick Bravo
Age: 74.
Occupation: Part-time Colorado River whitewater tour guide.
Education: University of California, Los Angeles, bachelor of science in electronic engineering.
Endorsements: None.
Kevin Polk
Age: 42.
Occupation: Executive director of the Boulder City Senior Center, and executive director of the Southern Nevada Transit Coalition.
Education: University of Southern California, bachelor of arts in English and print journalism.
Endorsements: None.
With seven candidates and no issue separating most of them, the City Council race in Boulder City will be won by the candidates who can best make themselves known to voters, a political expert says.
Incumbent Councilman Bryan Nix starts with an obvious advantage, having been in the public eye for the past eight years, said Michael Bowers, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For the rest of the candidates it comes down to "retail politics," he said.
Candidates have to get themselves to the voters, whether it's through door-to-door campaigning, attending meetings of local civic groups or being at every candidate event there is, Bowers said.
"It's unfortunate there isn't a real major issue separating us," candidate Roger Tobler said.
Two of the seven candidates will join the council. Nix is ending his second term and is seeking re-election, while Councilman Doug Scheppmann is not running for the seat to which he was appointed after Joe Hardy was elected to the State Assembly.
The candidates first face off in the April 8 primary. Early voting is under way and continues through April 4. Candidates who receive more than 50 percent of the votes are elected in the primary. If no candidates reach the 50 percent mark, the top four candidates will face off in the June 3 general election.
If the race does come down to who knows more people, Tobler and fellow candidate Kevin Polk may be helped by their jobs.
Tobler, whose father was on the council for two terms in the 1970s, runs his family's Boulder City hardware store Home Hardware and Variety, which puts him in a position to meet many potential voters.
Polk is executive director of the Boulder City Senior Center, which puts him close to many of the city's older residents. Polk has also geared his campaign to the senior vote with campaign slogans "Polk for Seniors" and "Don't let city finances hurt our seniors."
Bowers says aiming for the senior vote is a good campaign strategy because seniors tend to vote more regularly than younger voters.
But Nix criticized Polk's tactics, saying Polk is just trying to scare voters and that there is "no substance" behind the implication that the city's financial condition poses a threat to senior citizens.
Polk stands behind his statements. He says that 20 years ago, when the city faced financial hardship, the council eliminated the city's senior services department. Now a report done by Hobbs, Ong & Associates for the city shows the council may be facing tough financial times again.
The report includes a table that shows the city's expenditures exceeding annual revenues until the city's reserve account runs out of money in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
But many people, including the authors of the report, say the financial projections are quickly reversed if any one of several projects or some cost-cutting measures come to fruition.
Polk also says expected leases of city-owned property to energy companies for power plants could eliminate the projected deficits. But Polk says nothing should be taken for granted, and if the council is ultimately faced with tough financial decisions he would be working to protect the interests of the city's senior population.
Unlike Smith in the mayor's race, none of the council candidates are claiming the city is on its way to a financial crisis. Instead, many of the candidates, including Nix and Tobler, say the city is is good financial condition.
Many of the candidates are touting their public and and private sector experience in their election bids.
Tobler, who co-owns his family's business, says the city needs a local businessman on the council.
Candidate Dick Bravo says his extensive experience in private sector management positions plus about five years on the city Planning Commission would make him a good councilman.
Bravo, a former manager at several computer companies, said he wants the city to adopt a zero-based budgeting method, in which every expenditure is scrutinized.
He also wants the city to sell some land to pay off long-term debt. However, that decision would have to be made by the voters because city law requires that any sale of more than 1 acre of city-owned property be put to a popular vote.
Candidate Karla Burton is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served as a judge advocate officer and is now on the city airport commission.
Burton said her work experience has made her skilled at resolving disputes and reaching consensus. She is also a strong advocate of the city leasing land to increase revenue.
Nix, too, is stressing his experience. In addition to serving on the council for about eight years, Nix represents the city on several regional boards, including the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Regional Transportation Commission.
Anthony Pakula is the only candidate to come out against the long-planned Boulder City bypass, which would offer Hoover Dam traffic a route around the city.
Pakula says the bypass would take away traffic from the city, which would hurt city businesses.
But Pakula's message might not reach many voters. He is not doing any door-to-door campaigning and he says he will spend only $100 on his campaign.
Pakula said he knows how to win a race, however. He was elected to four two-year terms on the Detroit School Board from 1972 to 1980 without spending more than $25 on any of his campaigns, he said.
Candidate Susan Higley did not return repeated calls seeking comment for this story.
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