Clear Lake voters chose to return former City Councilman Ben Furleigh to office and elected retired school teacher Mike Callanan for the first time in Tuesday’s General Election.
    Furleigh collected just over 64 percent of the Third Ward voters to defeat Mike Verdoorn, a member of the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission, 240-134.  Bill Yohn chose to step down from the Third Ward Council position after serving one term.
    Furleigh served on the City Council from 1996-2003.  He stressed his experience, combined with employment history in the field of manufacturing, made him a valuable choice for City Council.
     Mike Callanan will replace Julie Steinberg as an at-large representative on the Council.  Steinberg also decided not to seek re-election to another term.  Callanan earned 653 votes compared to 425 for challenger Don Pedelty, also a newcomer to local politics.
    Callanan noted he is recently retired from teaching at Clear Lake High School and felt he was in a position to give service back to the community.  
    First Ward Councilman Shane Cooney ran unopposed for re-election.  He collected 320 votes.  Cooney had been nearing completion of a two-year term which was vacated by Dave Solberg when he ran for and won an at-large Council seat in 2005.  
90 percent favor hotel tax increase
Hotel/Motel tax
    Clear Lake voters also gave overwhelming approval to raising the city’s hotel/motel tax from 5 to 7 percent.  The measure was approved by a 967 to 111.  The 90 percent approval will allow the city to designate 1.5 percent to fund its $2 million commitment to the Lake Dredging and Restoration Project and other lake improvement initiatives in the future.  The city has pledged $100,000 per year for 20 years to pay for the dredging work.  The remaining .5 percent will be used to fund the maintenance of permanently located recreational, cultural or entertainment facilities within Clear Lake.
    The increase in the hotel/motel tax is expected to generate about $90,000 per year.
    The city and Clear Lake Economic Development Corporation each receive 20 percent of the tax recepites.  The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce receives 60 percent.  
    
Ventura
    Three Ventura City Councilmen were unopposed in seeking re-election.  John Quintus, Dar Avery and Jim Frederick were returned to office.  Quintus received 69 votes, Avery 67 and Frederick 61 votes.