Glass wants to be Petaluma's mayor again

Petaluma City Councilman David Glass will seek the city's mayoral seat now that Mayor Pam Torliatt is running for the Sonoma County board of supervisors.

Glass' announcement and Torliatt's potential departure could lead to a major change in direction for the Petaluma council in November 2010. Three other council seats are up for election next year.

Torliatt and two others have announced they are running for the 2nd District seat on the county board. If no one gets a majority in the June primary, a runoff election would be held in November. Her mayoral term expires then and she couldn't run for both offices.

Glass said Torliatt's decision to seek higher office caused his plans to fall into place. “Pam is going to make a good supervisor,” he said. “A good working relationship between the city and county is imperative for our mutual success. This opportunity would be a tremendous benefit to Petaluma and the county.”

Glass, 62, has been a municipal finance professional for 20 years. He is a former radio announcer for the San Francisco Giants and a former radio talk show host for KSRO in Santa Rosa.

Glass served as Petaluma mayor from 2003 to 2007 and said this week that his experience in that office, as a councilman and as a planning commissioner are necessary to lead the county's second-largest town.

He said his mayoral run would be “a continuation of the articulation I provided when I came in and we spurred the downtown revitalization.”

He stepped down as mayor after one four-year term and began a stint with KSRO hosting the “David Glass Show.” He interviewed former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Cabinet members, chiefs of staff, United Nations ambassadors and various authors and celebrities. He left the radio station to run for Petaluma council in November 2008. He was the top vote getter in a race for three open seats.

“Experience is important,” he said. “Communication with the public and the press is different than when you are a councilmember.”

The November 2010 election also marks the end of terms for council members Mike Harris, David Rabbitt and Teresa Barrett. If Glass were to win the mayor's seat, the council seated in Jan. 2011 likely would appoint a replacement for the remaining two years of his term.

“It really is more complicated than just the mayor's race,” said Councilman Mike Healy, who also is considering a run for supervisor. “It's a multi-dimensional chess game.”

Harris said other mayoral candidates may come forward, though thus far no one else has announced an intention to run.

“I'm sensing there are others as well that are going to step forward to run for the position that will offer fresh leadership,” Harris said.

And he could be one of them: “I enjoy serving Petaluma and I will be running in the city elections next year, however, I haven't decided what office I'm going to run for.”

Glass said he will run a grassroots campaign and work to build consensus in the community about how to face the economic challenges ahead.

“If the voters will have me, it would be an honor,” he said.”

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 762-7297 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.