Stavros plans run for Poway mayor
Poway Mayor Don Higginson will be challenged in November by 24-year resident Nick Stavros, who on Tuesday took out nomination papers.
Meanwhile, appointed Councilman Carl Kruse has become the first candidate to qualify for the election by returning his papers. Recently elected Councilman John Mullin is expected to do the same before the 5 p.m. Aug. 5 filing deadline. Also expected to return their papers are Higginson and council challenger Dave Grosch.
Voters will elect a mayor and two council members in November.
Stavros, 59, ran unsuccessfully for council in 2002 and 2004. In each race he received about 25 percent of the votes cast.
“It’s time for a mayor who exhibits leadership on any number of fronts in the City of Poway,” Stavros said, “ethics, accounting, transparency and complying with the city’s general plan. What I have seen is almost no ethics AND poor lip service being paid to the plan. It’s always ‘Interpreted’ for convenience.”
A Poway resident since 1986, Stavros lives on Jackrabbit Road. He is a civilian contractor for the Navy, performing systems analysis.
Stavros said his top issue will be addressing what he sees is a lack of ethics in the city.
“I have personally had issues with the ethical standards (or lack there of) in the city for a long time,” Stavros said. “However, as a result of the recall efforts, I think more people are now aware of these issues and are sensitive to what has happened in our city. I want to adopt a code of ethics in the City of Poway and have a mediation board — not City Council — help enforce the code.”
Stavros said he opposes the use of neighborhood parks for sports fields. He opposed the development of softball fields at Aubrey Park for that reason.
Stavros has a Ph.D. and master’s degree in environmental engineering from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s in botany from Colorado State University.
He will face Higginson, who was appointed mayor in May 2009 following the death of Mickey Cafagna. Higginson has served on the council for 24 years, including six years, 1992-98, as the elected mayor. He is a 45-year Poway resident and is senior vice president of MBE, a UPS subsidiary.
Kruse, a retired banker, was appointed in May 2009 to finish Higginson’s term. He served on the council from 1982 until 1990.
Following their 2009 appointments, both Higginson and Kruse said they were not planning on running in November. Both later changed their minds.
Grosch placed fourth in the June 8 voting for a replacement for recalled City Councilwoman Betty Rexford. The election was won by Mullin.
Grosch retired in 2005 from SAIC where he worked in project and financial management. He heads a citizens committee opposed to the expansion of the Poway Walmart store.
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