Boulder City candidates contrast in styles

By Mike Trask (contact)

Thursday, May 31, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

Both are city councilmen. Both are longtime residents. Both are raising families in Boulder City.

Both have businesses in town. And their voting records on the council over the past four years are nearly identical.

So voters searching for something that distinguishes Mike Pacini from Roger Tobler in the race for Boulder City mayor may end up focusing on the candidates' personalities.

"Mike's style is much more open . He's a very gregarious individual," outgoing Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said. "Roger is more reserved. They each bring something different."

One of them will replace Ferraro, who is retiring from public office after serving the small city for 31 years. He has not endorsed either candidate.

Pacini, 39, grew up in Boulder City and seems to know almost everyone in town. A back-slapper and baby-kisser, he runs the annual Christmas parade and is the type of guy who will wear an Oakland Raiders tie to a council meeting.

Tobler, 41, is quieter, working behind the scenes with the Regional Transportation Commission. He runs a hardware store in town, a contrast to Pacini's boisterous disc jockey-for-hire business. If Pacini wins, Hizzoner would be available for birthday parties, weddings and neighborhood events.

Many in the city seem to prefer the low-key approach.

"I think Tobler is a mature person," resident Nita Andrews said. "I think Pacini's a little immature. He's more of an entertainer."

Or as Sherman Rattner, who leads the Coalition to Protect the Future of Boulder City, said: "Tobler pretends he is thinking about things. Pacini puts on a dog-and-pony show. In the end, they end up voting the same."

Rattner and some other critics of the council say they intend to vote for Tobler because of a potential political musical chairs scenario they envision if Pacini wins.

Term limits would force Pacini out of his council office in two years. However, if Pacini is elected mayor, some believe , the council might appoint Tobler - who is giving up his council seat to run for mayor - to Pacini's seat.

In short, they want change at City Hall, an attitude that helped Linda Strickland win an open council seat outright in the April primary.

In the campaign Pacini, who has been on the council for 10 years, is running on his experience. He is admired by many for his extensive community involvement, and others simply know him from working the checkout line at Vons, where he has been for 25 years.

Tobler, meanwhile, focuses on pushing ballot initiatives that would allow voters to dictate the future of Eldorado Valley.

Tobler's 48 percent first-place showing in the four-candidate primary, in which Pacini was second with 35 percent, causes many to see Tobler as the favorite in Tuesday's election.

"The fact that Mike is such a nice guy shows if they vote for Roger it's because they think he will be a better mayor," former

Councilman Bill Smith said.