Tobler wins 2nd term as Boulder City mayor

By Dylan Scott

Published Tuesday, April 5, 2011 | 6:48 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, April 5, 2011 | 10:24 p.m.

Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler earned a second term on Tuesday night, while Rod Woodbury and Peggy Leavitt joined the City Council.

In an impressive primary election turnout, 4,517 of Boulder City’s 9,489 voters cast their ballots, dwarfing participation by their neighbors in Las Vegas and Henderson.

Tobler garnered 2,465 votes, 55 percent, enough to secure the mayor’s seat for another four years without a general election in June.

“I’m honored, of course. This is a great community to serve,” Tobler said. “I just promise to keep making the same commitments that I have and leading in a positive way. I also hope we could start to rebuild some of the bridges in our city, but we’ll see.”

Linda Strickland, who passed up a chance at a second term on the City Council to challenge Tobler, received 1,831 votes, 41 percent. Zachary Scott Inman, a local businessman, captured 201 votes, 4 percent.

“We’ve learned that dirty politics works,” Strickland said. “But if Mayor Tobler is the selection from the community, then that’s who they’ll have. I’m thankful to them for giving me the opportunity to serve them for the last four years.”

In interviews outside various polling stations in Boulder City, voters expressed their satisfaction with Tobler’s handling of the city’s finances and his work to rectify the traffic influx the city has seen following the Hoover Dam bypass bridge’s opening in November.

Tobler, along with Woodbury and Leavitt, will face $96.2 million in debt on the city’s checkbook, as well as decreased revenue from traditional sources.

Tobler said he will continue working toward solutions for the traffic problem and look for more solar lease revenue, which should continue helping to pay off most of the city’s debt and offset lost funding from other areas.

Woodbury, an attorney and son of former Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, took 2,689 votes, 32 percent. Leavitt, a retired social services administrator obtained 2,449 votes, 29 percent. They needed at least 25 percent of the vote to avoid a general election runoff.

“I’m very excited. This is a fantastic opportunity,” Woodbury said. “I’m humbled by the show of support. I’m looking forward to being able to bring civility and respect to the council and to helping find common ground and solutions.”

Leavitt said she “was amazed and thrilled,” with her victory. “I wasn’t anticipating winning in the primary. I’m humbled and honored that the citizens voted me in. I want to make a positive difference. Hopefully, we’ll be able to work together in the future.”

The runners-up for City Council were as follows: Rose Ann Miele, the city’s former public information officer, with 1,331 votes, 16 percent; Lynn Goya, who lost in a bid for the District 20 state assembly seat last November, with 1,201 votes, 14 percent; and Linda Graham, wife of a minister at Grace Community Church, who received 749 votes, 9 percent.

More than half of Boulder City’s voters — 3,115 — voted early or mailed in their ballots, while the other 1,402 went to the polls on Tuesday.