City Council candidates beginning to pile up

The race for council seats in Henderson is heating up.

Councilman David Wood announced this week he will not seek re-election to his Ward 4 seat.

Candidate filing opened Tuesday and ends March 5.

As of Thursday evening, seven candidates had filed the paperwork to run for the three City Council seats up for grabs. Among them are incumbents Amanda Cyphers, Ward 1, and Andy Hafen, Ward 2.

All positions are for four years.

Two candidates so far will challenge Department 2 Municipal Judge John Provost, who filed Tuesday to retain his judgeship.

Wood said he has served the city for eight years. Before being elected to the council in 1995, Wood served on the city's Citizens Advisory Commission and the Planning Commission, among others.

"Eight years is a long time," he said. "If this was going to go for another two years, I might consider it (running again), but four years is a lot to commit."

Wood said it's not in his nature to do something halfway and the City Council is a full-time commitment.

"I don't want to read agendas or back-up material," he said. "I want to read a book."

Wood added he will not endorse anyone in particular for his seat.

"I would like to see someone willing to work hard for the residents of the city," he said about his future replacement. "I know several people who can fill that bill if they want to make that commitment."

Steve Kirk, chairman of the city's Parks and Recreation board, is the only candidate so far to have filed for Wood's Ward 4 seat.

Once he is out of office, Wood said he plans on devoting more time to his financial and computer consulting work.

"Because of the growth, there are a lot of business opportunities in this community," he said.

Elizabeth Trosper was the only candidate to file at the city clerk's office Tuesday. She and Debra Lemancik-Grant are running against Cyphers, who is running for her second term, in Ward 1.

Ann Barron, former economic development director for the city, and William Brandt are running against Hafen, who is running for his fourth term, in Ward II.

All council members run at large, but they must live in the ward where they run.

Matthew Dushoff and James Carlson are running against Provost for municipal judge.

There will be a candidates night, moderated by Channel 8's Gary Waddell, at 7:30 p.m. April 5 at Frank Lamping Elementary School, 2551 Summit Grove Drive

archive