Voters May Have to Choose Between Two Candidates for City Clerk

City Clerk Terri Cook faces a likely challenge this November from Belmont City Councilman Dave Warden, who said he plans big changes to the office if he wins.

Cook ran unopposed in 2003 and 2007.

Both grew up in Belmont and have long track records in public service, including stints as mayor and planning commissioner. Cook, 53, was elected to her first council seat in 1997; Warden, 49, joined her two years later.

Warden said he would relinquish his current seat on the council if he is elected city clerk.

Cook already filed her papers. Warden said he gathered “just about enough” of the nomination signatures he’ll need to file his.

A former Ralston Middle School math teacher, Warden, an engineer, was director of a company that went public. He works as a medical software developer.

“Frankly, I’ve never messed up anything in my life,” he said. “Plus, it’s good to have a choice, good to have a public debate.”

In a time of decreasing revenues, he said all cities must learn to do more with less – a message he said resonates with voters.

He said he would slice the position in hours and pay if he is elected.

“I’m not really sure what that would mean,” Cook said. “When I was running, I was one of four candidates in the campaign. One started alluding to the idea that the job could be more of a figurehead position. The community’s reaction was, they didn’t want that.”

Cook said the job encompasses a wide range of tasks directly involving the council, the city’s managers and the public. In addition to serving as the local elections official.

She also has put the council’s actions dating back to 1950 in an online, searchable format.

“She is a very, very, very nice person,” Mayor Coralin Feierbach said. “I endorsed her in 2002.”

As for the challenger, “Dave is a wonderful person and he’s done a lot of good things," Feierbach said. "He’s done more than his fair share. If he gets it, it will be interesting to see what he does.”