Ferraro, Pacini recall targets

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004 | 9:31 a.m.

Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro and City Councilman Mike Pacini are the targets of recall petitions launched Tuesday.

It's the latest political fallout from the financially floundering city-owned Boulder Creek Golf Club, a project Ferraro and Pacini advocated.

If the petitioners' efforts are successful, Ferraro would again face former City Councilman Bill Smith in a mayoral election. Ferraro beat Smith by 18 votes in the June election.

In the previous campaign, Smith warned that the golf course was struggling and would need a city subsidy. Ferraro defended the city's $22 million investment in Boulder Creek.

Ferraro spent most of his campaign saying the course was doing well, but one week before the general election an independent auditor hired by the city reported the course had lost about $480,000 during its first four months open.

Losses have continued to add up since then, totalling about $3 million after accounting for depreciation and interest in addition to operating losses.

The council recently approved a plan to cut $1.2 million from the city's general fund to free up money to bail out the course.

Ferraro has remained a supporter of the course, saying it will eventually turn around and become the profitable tourist draw it was meant to be. But just before the June election Ferraro said he was surprised by the reported losses and called for City Manager John Sullard's resignation, saying Sullard should have kept a closer watch over the course.

Pacini, a councilman since 1997, would face retired businessman Arnold McLean if the petitioners' efforts are successful.

Notices of intent to petition for recall elections for Ferraro and Pacini were filed Tuesday morning with the city clerk. The petitioners have 90 days to turn in petitions, which need to be signed by at least 1,248 registered Boulder City voters to prompt a recall election for Ferraro.

At least 992 qualified signatures are needed to force a recall election for Pacini. The number of signatures needed is equal to 25 percent of the number of voters who cast ballots in the candidate's last election.

Smith said that while people are trying to get signatures on those petitions, they will also seek signatures on petitions to put him and McLean on the special election ballots against Ferraro and Pacini. They will need the same number of signatures to recall the incumbents to get the challengers on the ballot, Smith said.

Matthew Di Teresa, whose name is atop the intent to petition notices, said many voters feel Ferraro misled them about Boulder Creek, and that Pacini went along with that deception.

"I think they knew Boulder Creek was in trouble," Di Teresa said.

Smith echoed claims made during the campaign early last year, saying that either Ferraro knew Boulder Creek was struggling or should have known.

About 60 people met with Smith on Monday to discuss the recall effort. He said everyone wanted to recall Ferraro, most favored recalling Pacini, but less than half wanted to go after Councilwoman Andrea Anderson so there isn't a petition to recall her.

Smith said Anderson has gained favor among some voters by working in recent months to solve the problems at Boulder Creek.

Smith said Boulder Creek is the primary driving force behind the recall effort.

"If they hadn't built the golf course there wouldn't be a recall," he said.

Pacini said he somewhat expected a recall petition, but said still "it's like a kick in the stomach."

"When Bill Smith wants something he usually gets it," Pacini said.

Pacini said he always expected Boulder Creek could lose some money early on, as he says most new businesses do. But Pacini says he never hid anything from the public.

"When we got the information we shared it with everybody," Pacini said.

Ferraro said he's concerned the recall effort will bring negative publicity to Boulder City.

Reiterating his statements from months ago, Ferraro said he was surprised when he learned just before the general election that Boulder Creek was losing money.

"Even down to the very last minute I was using figures in my campaign that turned out to be bad," Ferraro said. "I was totally surprised."

Ferraro was appointed to the City Council in 1976, won his first election a year later, and has been mayor or a councilman ever since. Ferraro said his current term, which ends in 2007, will be his last.

Pacini's current term ends in 2005.

City Clerk Vicki Mayes said a special election could cost the city $25,000 to $30,000.

A special election would be held within 50 days of the petition signatures being certified and reviewed by the secretary of state's office.