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West Wendover candidate for city council Gary Kirigin said he would stay in the race despite a DUI arrest last Friday evening.
“I made a mistake, I am sorry for it,” Kirigin said Wednesday. “But I still think I can make a good contribution to city government.”
According to police reports, Kirigin was first stop by an NHP trooper for running a stop sign less than a block away from his home near the Wendover Golf Course Friday evening at about 6:30 pm.
“I was just running a quick errand and didn’t come to a complete stop,” He explained. “The trooper was evidently visiting a friend of his and pulled me over.”
According to the arrest report Kirigin tested slightly above the legal limit for alcohol and by statute was transported to the Elko county Jail for the mandatory 12 hour waiting period. It was his first DUI arrest.
“A couple of years ago the law was changed that now mandates anyone charged with DUI spend 12 hours in jail,” explained West Wendover Police Sergeant David Wiskerchen. “For Wendover residents that mean a trip to Elko.”
In addition to the four hour round trip and the 12 hour stay in jail, Kirigin was charged with a $1,000.00 bond which he paid that day.
While certainly a blow to his chances of winning one of the two seats up for grabs this November, the arrest may not be fatal especially since it came relatively early in the campaign with more than six weeks to go before November.
Well known and well liked by a large segment of the community, Kirigin came to Wendover in 1997 starting the first internet provider business in town. And since he filed for election his pro-small business platform has resonated in the community.
“I really feel that our council has gone downhill for at least the last 10 years by making poor decisions concerning local ordinances that would help keep existing businesses going and/or attract new businesses..” Kirigin wrote this August. “I know that it is not the job or the responsibility for a councilman to go out and solicit people or businesses to start or relocate a business in West Wendover. It is however, the responsibility of the council to make sure that our by-laws and ordinances do not deter or make it difficult to start a business. I believe that their demeanor should be pointed to help new businesses get started. I think that the council needs to focus on and possibly change some of their initial costs, useless building codes that are only in place for nonessential reasons, zoning laws and restrictions in certain areas that are inconsequential, and other details that make West Wendover non attractive for new businesses to get started.”
Whether that message can survive his recent arrest remains to be seen. In Kirigin’ favor other city wide officials survived similar arrests and were either elected or returned to office despite their misdemeanors.
