Term-limited candidates booted from ballot

Veteran town board members in Minden and Gardnerville were booted from the November ballot Friday after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled they had exhausted their term limits and were ineligible to seek re-election.

In two rulings, the Supreme Court said the long-term public officials " including Bruce Jacobsen and Ray Wilson of the Minden Town Board and Randy Slater of the Gardnerville Town Board " had reached a voter-mandated limit of 12 years.

In a unanimous decision justices, said the Nevada Constitution "plainly states" that officials can't serve more than 12 years, under terms of the limits on length of office approved by voters in 1996.

Wilson, who has served 24 years on the Minden board, said he was saddened by the decision.

"This whole thing came about because of a commissioner in Las Vegas that they wanted to get rid of. To get rid of one person, they got rid of a whole lot of good people," Wilson said. "It's sad our state has turned into nothing but another little Washington, D.C."

"This town has had a great run. I am so humbled they let me stay in as long as they did," he said.

Jacobsen said Friday he was disappointed.

"Being a native Nevadan, I didn't think something like this could happen in my state. I think it was politically motivated. The timing of the whole issue was completely wrong," said Jacobsen, who also will have served 24 years when his time is up.

Jacobsen, son of long-time state legislator the late Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen, said he wanted to continue to serve the public.

"It might be time for me to fry bigger fish," he said. "In two years, you might see my name somewhere else."

Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer Barbara Griffin said the names of the public officials would not appear on the November ballots which aren't printed until after the results of the Aug. 12 primary are canvassed.

"I was a little surprised just because we are so far into the election year and the close of filing occurred in May," she said. "I think a lot of people didn't file because the incumbents were filing."

Griffin said she was disappointed at the timing of the ruling.

"We took it to the Secretary of State in December last year. That's why I am disappointed. We should have had this decision much sooner. If we'd known earlier in the year, people could have filed for the office and truly gone through the election process with voters having their say," Griffin said.

Griffin said improvement districts have the authority to fill their own vacancies within 30 days after the position becomes open.

After that, names would be recommended to Douglas County commissioners who would make the decisions. Those appointed officials would be required to run for office at the first scheduled election in two years.

Griffin said commissioners ask the towns for recommendations and the board makes the appointments to fill the vacancies.

For the town boards, the new members are appointed to fill the length of the elected office, or four years.

That would address the concerns of Minden Town Board members all of whom have served for more than 20 years. Officials were concerned that five seats would be up for election in 2010 if Wilson and Jacobsen couldn't run again.

Their replacements will be appointed for four years until 2012, Griffin said.