INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — A pair of newcomers and a familiar face are in the hunt for the two Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees seats that expire in 2010.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, former businessman Joe Wolfe, former construction inspector Samuel R. Crowell and district incumbent Gene Brockman have filed for the most popular local election race.

“I believe the general improvement district can be run more efficiently,” Wolfe said. “I bring considerable business acumen to the table. I ran three small businesses in my life, all of which were successful.”

Wolfe is concerned with IVGID's recent plans to bring its recreational facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The figure of $36 million scares the heck out of me,” Wolfe said. “While I haven't been intimately involved with the process, I don't think it should cost that much. I think we could do it for a lot less.”

“As my pappy-in-law used to tell me ‘If you don't spend more than you take in, you'll make money' ... It's pretty simple.”

Crowell said previous experience as a construction inspector for a water agency enables him a level of expertise when it comes to utilities, and experience serving on the board of directors for a credit union company gives him familiarity analyzing budgets.

He said he takes issue with the way contracts are bid on and a lack of committee oversight on utilities, especially considering they are among the largest costs for residents.

“I have some changes in mind for the way the board operates,” Crowell said. “I bring some different philosophies. I think policy should be board driven, not driven by the staff.”

Brockman is running for his third consecutive term on the board.

“It is due to the conservative fiscal policy that IVGID is not in the financial condition of other similar local governments,” Brockman said. “During these stressful times, it is important to have persons with experience and success in decision-making positions.”

Brockman said decisions regarding upgrades to IVGID recreational facilities will be the major issue facing board members in the coming year.

“Bringing these buildings into ADA compliance is overdue,” he said. “The board must make sure to do necessary repair and replacement to aging infrastructure, buildings and equipment.”

John Bohn, the other IVGID incumbent, did not return phone calls for this story. Crowell and Wolfe also declined to provide photographs for publication in this story.

NLTFPD

Incumbents Don Epstein and Gene Murietta and Incline resident Jim Mullaney have filed for the two open seats on the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Board of Directors.

Epstein said it will be important to run an efficient and fiscally responsible department in light of budget shortfalls as a result of declining property and sales tax revenues.

“We have good grant writers; we just have to make sure we keep everything within our budget,” said Epstein, adding that firefighter safety must be on the forefront. “These guys are out there putting their life on the line every day — we don't need to go the cheap route when you're talking about human life.”

Murietta said his experience with NLTFPD is not limited to work on the board of directors.

“I've been involved with the department for 30 years,” he said. “I started as a volunteer firefighter in 1976 and this experience helped me to serve on the board.

“It's good to know the terminology, to know what the firefighters go through on a daily basis and to know the history of the department.”

Murietta believes anticipated budget shortfalls will present board members with a new and unique challenge.

“We'll have to maintain a high level of service on less money,” he said.

Mullaney, one of the founding members of Incline's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), said his past experience as a project manager in the private sector will benefit him.

“I have extensive experience in business process engineering, which means companies brought me in to evaluate project operations and see whether we could achieve results in a more cost-effective manner,” Mullaney said. “Sometimes when you bring a new set of eyes into a situation that kind of fresh perspective can really help an organization.

“I plan on asking intelligent questions about why the board does what they do and following up with questions about how we can do things more efficiently and cost effectively.”

Constable

Current Incline Village Constable Joe Kubo announced on March 1 his decision to run for his fourth consecutive term at the post.

Kubo said when he first assumed duties as constable, the office was not offering transports to local organizations and citizens.

“We've really focused on increasing the availability of services to local nonprofits and citizens, who for one reason or the other, can't make it down the hill to attend important court cases,” said Kubo.

Kubo said while the prospect of another 3 percent budget cut is not exciting, he is committed to providing residents the same level of service despite having less resources.

“We'll just have to do more with less,” he said.