Tuesday, Nov. 3, will have a significant impact on the political futures of cities throughout the Wood River Valley.
A total of eight council seats are being contested in Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue, as well as a mayoral race in Ketchum.
In all cities, polls will be open at the respective city halls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with absentee ballots accepted through Monday, Nov. 2.
For results, look on www.mtexpress.com Tuesday night or in the Wednesday, Nov. 4, edition of the Idaho Mountain Express.
For more information on the candidates, see the Wednesday, Oct. 28, edition of the Mountain Express.
Sun Valley
In Sun Valley, current City Council President Nils Ribi is running for re-election, while fellow Councilman Dave Chase is stepping down.
Four other candidates are contending for the two seats: Bob Youngman, a former physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory; Stephen Poindexter, a Sun Valley Resort front desk clerk; Milt Adam, a retired mechanical design engineer in nuclear research; and David Barovetto, an architect.
Ketchum
Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall hopes to hold on to his post for a second term, while challengers Mickey Garcia and Phyllis Shafran are providing a challenge.
As in Sun Valley, sitting Council President Baird Gourlay is running to retain his seat, while Councilman Charles Conn, who was appointed to the council after Ron Parsons stepped down mid-term, is opting not to run.
Six challengers are providing significant competition for the two seats: Former Mayor Ed Simon, an attorney; software engineer Lee Chubb; Clarion Inn hotel owner Peter Lewis; Rickshaw restaurant owner Nina Jonas; contractor Carter Ramsay; and Jan Hegewald, a board member of the nonprofit Ketchum Community Development Corp.
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Like Sun Valley, the race will be an open election, meaning the two front-runners win; candidates aren't fighting for specific seats.
Hailey
While Don Keirn is running unopposed for his seat on the City Council, Councilwoman Martha Burke has a single challenger to her shot at a fifth term. Anthony (Tony) St. George, a newcomer to city politics, is a seven-year Hailey resident and a real estate agent with the Ketchum-based Rokan real estate investment firm.
Bellevue
Voters in Bellevue have the opportunity to vote for three of four contenders for City Council.
Incumbents Brett Gelskey and Gene Ramsey are on the ballot with Tom Perry and Dave Hattula for two-year terms.
Gelskey, who manages the Ohio Gulch recycling center, was appointed to the council last year by Mayor Jon Anderson. Ramsey, who has served on the council for two years, works as Blaine County chief deputy sheriff.
Tom Perry is a business owner. Hattula is a painting contractor.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
