Outspoken resident taking break from Boulder City politics

By Cassie Tomlin

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 | midnight

Somewhere on a winding mountain road in Montana, Sherman Rattner is keeping an eye on Boulder City.

Rattner, an outspoken critic of city officials has lately been conspicuously absent. Reached on his cell phone somewhere in Montana, he said he's been cruising across the country for the past two months with his girlfriend, but still keeping watch on local affairs.

"I'm traveling the highways and byways of the nation in search of truth, justice and the American way," he said Oct. 28. "I thought I deserved a little vacation. But I'm still very much a part of Boulder City and staying closely in touch."

Rattner, known for living in a local hotel and leading a ballot initiative that sought to either sell the Eldorado Valley or further restrict its use, said while on the road, he's been avoiding local turmoil like the effort to recall Travis Chandler and Linda Strickland, whom he helped elect to the City Council.

He did say he's glad to hear the recall hasn't progressed much since he's left.

"It's absurd that two people who are on the council for less than six months, whose major accomplishment was to reveal how the city has been misleading and mismanaging the landfill, that somehow they are blamed," he said. "It's really pretty backwards."

Rattner said he "doesn't do winter," so he'll be back to the temperate Boulder City climate soon.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or [email protected].