Council elected if no successful write-in candidate wins
By Curtis Riggs | March 25, 2009
Deadline to file April 9
CAREFREE – Unless there is a successful write-in candidacy for the Carefree Town Council in the May 19 general election it appears the four open council seats have already been filled.
The withdrawal of Mayor Wayne Fulcher, Vice Mayor Lloyd Meyer and Greg Gardner from the May 19 ballot last week leaves four candidates vying for four open council seats.
First-time council candidates Peter Koteas and Susan Vanik are in the running for the four seats as are incumbents Bob Gemmill and David Schwan.
Incumbents Bob Coady, Glenn Miller and challenger Doug Stavoe were elected outright on March 10.
Carefree Town Clerk Betsy Wise said any Carefree citizen wanting to file as a write-in candidate for May 19 needs to do so by Thursday, April 9.
Carefree activist Jim Peirce filed as a write-in candidate on Monday.
“I am particularly concerned that a present councilman who withdrew from the general election allegedly wrote that the new mayor would be chosen from among three of the group of four slated to be elected without opposition, rather than either of the two candidates (Bob Coady and Doug Stavoe) who received the highest votes and were elected in the primary,” he said about his write-in candidacy. “Carefree residents deserve an opportunity to oppose such an outcome.”
Fellow Carefree activist John Traynor intends to file his papers to become a write-in candidate by the April 9 deadline.
“Someone has to run to change the tenor of town politics,” Traynor said. He intended to file his candidacy in December before family issues got in the way. “Three councilmen quitting was a great disservice to Carefree voters.”
Wise said write-in candidates must file a $500 exemption on campaign spending form or form a political-action committee and a financial statement if they file as a write-in candidate.
“The only thing they don’t have to do is file nominating petitions,” she said.