Council candidates focus on finances

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, May 14, 2003 | 10:20 a.m.

The questions of Boulder City's financial future that dominate the mayoral race have pushed their way into the race for two City Council seats, even though none of the candidates is saying the city faces a financial crisis.

Mayoral candidate Bill Smith, a former councilman, has based his campaign on his claim that the recent construction of a new water line and golf course will eventually cripple the city financially.

Incumbent Mayor Bob Ferraro and other city officials, including Councilman Bryan Nix, who is up for re-election, say Smith is wrong. The new water line was needed and the new Boulder Creek Golf Course will draw more tourists to the city and eventually turn a profit, they say.

Nix ran third in the April primary with 1,752 votes, and is the only incumbent among the four council candidates. The top two vote getters in the general election will become members of the council. Early voting begins Saturday and Election Day is June 3.

Since the primary, Nix has been going door-to-door to talk to voters, and he says he's had to spend a lot of his time "dispelling misinformation" being spread by Smith.

Smith has also said he needs to have all the incumbents defeated, which Nix takes as an attack on his campaign.

Karla Burton, the top vote getter in the primary with 1,861 votes, said the city budget is the obvious issue.

"While we're in good shape now, we need to maintain our reserve," Burton said.

She said the new water line was a good investment, and city leaders need to make sure the new Boulder Creek Golf Course does well now that it is open.

Council candidate Kevin Polk also said he was glad to see the city is keeping a healthy reserve fund, which is money accumulated from previous years.

Polk, who ran fourth in the primary with 1,289 votes, has also stopped pushing his pre-primary campaign theme, a warning that city finances could hurt senior citizens.

Council candidate Roger Tobler, who was second in the primary with 1,822 votes, predicted a close general election for the council.

"With three of us so close it's not a given," Tobler said. "It's going to be a tight race."

Burton agreed.

"There are four good candidates," she said. "It's really going to be a close race."