With less than a day left in the filing season the field of candidates for the three four year seats on the West Wendover City Council is positively crowded and relatively new.
So far 12 candidates have tossed their hats into the ring including two incumbent. John Hanson, Jeff Durham, Izzy Gutierrez, Donnie Andersen, David Serafini, Casey Snyder, Matthew Chavez, Mike Miera, Nick Flores, Dave Wiskerchen Roberto Trujillo, Jasie Holm and Johnny Gorum are all making a bid for one of the three open seats in the election. Gutierrez and Gorum are seeking re-election.
Noticeable by his absence is long time councilmen Roy Briggs. Along with Johnny Gorum, Briggs began his tenure in the Joey Thaut era. With then City councilwoman now Mayor Emily Carter formed a powerful political troika responsible for most of the city’s past policies for well over a decade including the building of the new city hall and expensive beautification projects as well as ordinances critics called anti-growth such as the 150 room casino rule.
The only time the trio did not vote in lock step was last year when Briggs unexpectedly bolted the coalition and helped vote down the city’s purchase of the Wendover Gas Company and the construction of a natural gas pipeline.
The field also includes former Mayor Donnie Andersen and former city councilman Mike Miera. Andersen narrowly lost a bid for re-election two years ago to Carter while the twice elected Miera lost his third bid for election in 2003. Miera later returned briefly to the council in 2012 to fill out the term of Bryant Blake who resigned. Miera’s appointment was on of the few issues then Mayor Andersen and then City councilwoman Carter agreed on.
But after the 2012 election the victorious Carter appointed Gorum back to the council even after Gorum lost his re-election bid. Carter picked her long time political ally over Miera, Serafini and Casey Snyder despite the fact that Snyder actually received more votes than Gorum in the just completed 2012 general election.
What is also different from past candidate pools is that about the present field of candidates is that at least a third of the candidates, Snyder, Miera and Hanson, own their own businesses one of the largest representations in recent history. Another unique feature is the apparent return to local politics of high level casino executives like Serafini GM of the Red Garter and Hanson where in the recent past running for council was the reserve of mid or lower level casino management. The field also represents the entry into local politics from employees of the Generation 2000 gaming corporation owners of the Nugget and the Red Garter including Serafini and Durham. With the exception of Buddy LaComb who ran in 2010 candidate employees from the local gaming corporation have been non-existent.
Three candidates have filed Jerry Andersen and Chris Andersen, no relation to each other but Chris is the wife of fellow candidate and former mayor Donnie Andersen and Peter Hansen.
No matter who later files no candidate for council will have a primary to worry about.
According to city law all candidates will head to the November election with the top three vote getters winning seats for the four year race and the top vote getter winning the two year seat.
The current Recreation District Board earned the ire of some soft ball players last summer when the players started an ad hoc second season after league play ended over insurance payments to the district.
The cost of a new liability policy was quoted at between $300 and $400 or less than $30 a player. In the end the district and the soft ball players agreed to about half that amount.
But softball players warned that last summer’s peace was only a cease fire and that come election time in 2014 they would make their voices heard.
So far they aren’t.
However two of the Recreation District seat will be contested after all in the November election. Greg Scrowther will challenge incumbent Gary Corona in the race for Seat #2 and Aaron Crozier will take on incumbent Bob Loncar in the race for Seat #3. Sonny Longson will run unopposed for the Seat #5.