The mayor’s race in Snowmass Village is now officially a race, as longtime local public servant Bill Boineau has decided to throw his hat into the ring, challenging the only other declared candidate: Councilman Arnie Mordkin.
Current Mayor Doug “Merc” Mercatoris, whose second two-year term expires in November, declined to say whether he plans to run for an allowed third term, although word on the street is that he’s leaning toward stepping down.
Councilman John Wilkinson said that he’s also considering a run for mayor, although he is also weighing the option of running for a second four-year term as a council member.
Wilkinson and Councilwoman Sally Sparhawk’s seats are up for election, and Sparhawk said she will not be running again. Councilman Reed Lewis is not up for re-election.
The only other potential council candidate as of Tuesday (the first day to pick up candidate packets) was attorney Kay Honigman-Singer, a well-known presence in council chambers who weighs in at most meetings.
Although one of the most significant developments in Snowmass’ 40-year history, Base Village, is approved and under construction, the next council will likely face one if not two development proposals that are almost as monumental. Related WestPac, which owns most of all three commercial nodes in the Village, is expected to seek approval for a redeveloped Snowmass Center that will include a private residence club and more commercial space. The company may also propose to tear down and redo the Snowmass Mall in the next few years.
“These are the last major portions of development of Snowmass Village and I had really wanted to be in a decision making capacity to review those,” said Boineau, who currently sits on the town’s planning commission. Boineau was careful to add that he can’t be biased because he’s a planning commissioner, “but I would love to see Base Village come online totally to understand the needs of community before we jump into talking about the mall.”
Boineau also said that any plans for the primarily local-serving Snowmass Center should also be considered before a mall redevelopment, because “I think community commercial is very important first, and as development comes online we’ll need more of those services.”
Boineau, a computer consultant and property manager who holds a real estate license but doesn’t actively sell, has served eight years as a Town Council member, from 1994-1998 and 2002-2006, and was on the planning commission from 2000-2002 as well as his current term, which began in 2006.
Mordkin, a defense attorney, also has eight years of Town Council experience. He was elected for his first term from 2000-2004, lost a re-election bid in 2004, then was appointed to a vacant seat. In 2006 he won re-election to a four-year council seat, which he will be able to retain if he loses the mayor race.
Boineau also has the option to stay in public office if he loses, as he is only halfway through his four-year planning commission appointment.
Mordkin, who declared his candidacy in February, said he’s running because “I think we need leadership.”
As it’s currently being interpreted, the mayor’s role is one of a “facilitator or mediator,” Mordkin said, “and I think that’s not good for our community at this time. With all the stuff that goes on with Related WestPac and the changes they want to make in our community, the changes they want to make with what we have already worked so hard to deal with — I think we need leadership.”
Related WestPac has brought forward or plans to bring into the public process several applications for Base Village changes, some as minor as exterior paint and window placement and others like changing a percentage of the residences to fractional use.
Mordkin is also proposing abolishing the elected office of mayor — which has equal voting power with the rest of the council but is allowed to set the meeting agendas — and replacing it with a rotating series of one-year terms for the position, which would be chosen by the council. Mordkin said that if that were the case, “you’re not always running for mayor and you have greater latitude to be a leader rather than a mediator.”
Boineau, who was considering a run for council or mayor and said he was convinced by supporters to seek the mayoral office, opposes that idea, saying that “the community should be able to select their mayor,” who needs to be “a consistent person that’s an ambassador for our town.”
Boineau pointed out that he differs from Mordkin in that he does believe the mayor should be an ambassador, which doesn’t mean being everybody’s friend but still being able to talk to and listen to any constituent.
“I think the council needs someone who will be open and receptive to ideas and planning, who is willing to debate issues instead of trying to just tell people what they should do,” he said. “I tend to be a little more easy with people and I’m told I’m more approachable than other council members in the past.”
Both Boineau and Mordkin sat on the council that unanimously approved Base Village in 2004, a fact that Wilkinson pointed out. Wilkinson recommended denial of the base plan as a planning commissioner and has said that he voted against it in the public referendum the following February.
Wilkinson, who is mayor pro tem, said that “a lot of people want me to run one way or another,” and that he probably will stay in public office.
“I have the energy now; I don’t want to wait until my declining years to do this,” he said.
Sparhawk, who is nearing the end of her first four-year term, said that because of her workload she doesn’t have the time to properly dedicate to the consuming job of council person.
“I’ve kind of done my time — I’m up for parole,” she joked.
Honigman-Singer, who has publicly criticized Related WestPac and the Aspen Skiing Co. and has never run for public office but serves on several volunteer boards, said, “My main motivation is it’s a critical time for Snowmass Village. It’s literally responsible for me to run right now.”
Candidate applications are being accepted through Aug. 25, and include a nominating petition containing at least 10 signatures of registered voters. Candidates must also be registered voters and must be a Snowmass Village resident of at least one year.
The election is Nov. 4.
lutz@aspendailynews.com
