For the week of November 12 - 18, 2003

The toss of a coin
decides mayoral
race in Stanley

---

"The long-term goal is to create a business friendly, open environment with the community. It’s all sort of canned answers, but it’s all very true in Stanley. We need to address these issues."

— PAUL FRANTELLIZZI, Stanley mayor-elect

---

By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

By the toss of a coin Thursday, Nov. 6, Stanley resident Paul Frantellizzi edged out incumbent Stanley Mayor Robert Downing for the city’s top job.

It was an event starkly reminiscent of a 2002 coin toss between the same two men that effected exactly the same result.

Unofficial Stanley city election results show that each candidate received 35 votes out of a total 71 ballots cast.

Idaho Code calls for a coin toss in the event of a tie.

Strangely, both candidates had been through the tiebreaker before while facing off for the same job.

In the spring of 2002, Downing and Frantellizzi were nominated to fill the mayor’s position left vacant by former Mayor Hilda Floyd. In voting, the Stanley City Council split, invoking a coin toss.

Frantellizzi won, and now, by another toss of a coin, he has won again.

But in between the flips, the story has had a number of twists.

Frantellizzi said the time was marred by unethical behavior by the Stanley City Council. Following several months of turmoil, Frantellizzi and two city council members resigned their seats in the fall of 2002, eliminating a quorum and, therefore, the body’s ability to conduct business or appoint new members. On Sept. 24, the city appealed to Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to appoint two city council members to create a quorum.

Graham was appointed the city’s mayor.

Aside from Frantellizzi’s narrow victory, Stanley voters clearly cast ballots for change.

Neil Anderson, 52 votes, and Charlie Thompson, 57 votes, edged out incumbent Jan Skrukrud, 22 votes. Dick Neustaedter, 45 votes, and Steve Barnard, 37 votes, beat incumbents Phil Enright, 29 votes, and John Graham, 21 votes.

Frantellizzi said all of the newly elected council members ran as a team.

"The four council members received an overwhelming mandate from the community," Frantellizzi said. "They beat the pants off everybody."

The new mayor said the city has been operating in financial disarray and recently evicted the Stanley Chamber of Commerce from the city’s municipal building.

"Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with the chamber," Frantellizzi, a marketing director by profession, said. "Our goal is to reach out to Sun Valley-Ketechum, to reach out to all the communities around us. We want to create a real open environment for the community, make sure they know they have a voice.

"The long-term goal is to create a business friendly, open environment with the community. It’s all sort of canned answers, but it’s all very true in Stanley. We need to address these issues."

Stanley voters on Nov. 4 also renewed a 2.5 percent sales tax with a 63 percent majority. The vote was close, with a 60 percent majority required for passage.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.