For the week of  October 3 - 9, 2001

Lindley unopposed for Hailey mayor

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By PETER BOLTZ
Express Staff Writer

Al Lindley is the only candidate running for Hailey mayor this November, unless someone chooses to run against him as a write-in candidate.

Al Lindley

The deadline for candidates to get their names on the Nov. 6 ballot was 5 p.m. Thursday.

Lindley said he hoped he would get some competition because he wants a debate on issues affecting the city.

Don Keirn, who currently occupies Hailey City Council Seat 2, will also be running unopposed unless someone declares as a write-in candidate for the seat.

Keirn sees being unopposed as a confirmation of the job he’s been doing so far on the council.

"I think I’ve done a pretty fair job and will do a better one as I get more experience," he said.

He joked that being unopposed will make running "a lot easier."

Seat 1, the other seat open for election, has two declared candidates, incumbent Martha Burke and challenger Pete Kramer.

Kramer said he isn’t running against Burke as much as he is wanting to help shape the future of Hailey.

He said there was no deciding factor for him to run and that he had decided to run two years ago.

"I want to play a role in establishing a vision for Hailey. I want to be involved in this work in progress," Kramer said.

Burke said she decided to run again two years ago.

She said she believed Hailey’s elected officials had a two-fold obligation. The first is to the residents of Hailey, the second is to the whole Wood River Valley.

She stressed the need for Hailey to have officials who could work with other officials in the county since so many issues were countywide.

The deadline for candidates to declare themselves as write-in candidates is 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at Hailey City Hall.

The names of any write-in candidates will not be printed on the ballot, but space will be provided for voters to write names in for an office.

"That’s the disadvantage of being a write-in candidate," Hailey City Clerk Heather Dawson said. "Your name is just not visible."

Dawson said that write-in votes for people who have not formally declared themselves will be invalid for that office, but writing in such a name will not void the entire ballot.

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