Former fire chief, 2 incumbents lead pack in Anderson Fire Dist.

POLLING LIGHT: Orlando DeJesus, 41, of Anderson votes in Precinct 30 at the VFW Post No. 9650.

In the race for five seats on the Anderson Fire Protection District board, former fire chief Don Matheson broke away from the 11-candidate pack with an early lead on election night, Nov. 3.

By morning, Matheson's lead held and he was joined at the top of the list by long-time fire board incumbent Paul Bosetti, who has spent 20 years on the district's appointed board of directors.

The balloting marks the first time that the fire board will be elected instead of appointed.

"I'm kind of excited - I'm really pleased," Matheson said Tuesday night after his lead was announced. "The support I received from the people of Anderson was more than I expected."

The Shasta County Clerk released the final election night report of the 2009 Consolidated Schools and Special Districts Elections at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The leading fire board candidates for five fire board seats were Donald G. Matheson, 665 votes; Paul Bosetti, 440 votes; Michael C. Hubert, Sr., 325 votes; Marsha Kelley, 320 votes; and Jeff Hogue, 319 votes.

The results are not final however, as Shasta County Clerk Cathy Darling reported 1,100 vote-by-mail ballots and 100 provisional ballots, county wide, had not been counted as of Nov. 4.

The fire board seats five members. Sixth-seeded Jim Cahill, with 316 votes, trailed three other candidates - Hogue, Marsha Kelly and Hubert - by less than ten votes.

The likely election of two incumbents, Kelly and Bosetti, to the fire board indicated to Fire Chief Andy Nichols said the district's residents voiced their approval of the current fire board.

"I'm confident that the people of the district are happy with what the board has been doing," he said.

Nichols added he will wait until the election is finalized before congratulating candidates. The new fire board members will take their seats on the board at the district's Dec. 4 meeting.

"That's the date we go out and they come in," outgoing fire board member Norma Comnick said.

The district's first elected board will then determine which candidates receive short terms and long terms.

Matheson spent $5,239 on his campaign, according to a campaign disclosure statement. Through two direct mailings, he raised more than $1,000 in campaign support, he said in a phone interview on Tuesday night. He was the only candidate to spend more than $1,000 on his campaign, according to Shasta County Clerk records last week.

Matheson said he also had help from his son, Justin, who is a partner at Aimpoint, a campaign management firm in Sacramento.Matheson served as AFPD Fire Chief from January, 1996 to September, 2006. As chief, he had hired current-Chief Nichols into the district in 2000 and recommended Nichols for interim chief in 2006, Matheson said previously.

Also pleased with the initial success was incumbent for 20 years, Paul Bosetti.

"I still want to be on the board," Bosetti said. "I want to see that other fire station get built."