ELECTIONS : Vera Takes First Place in Council Race; Boulgarides and Gourley Win : Politics: City’s stand on development issues such as Sony expansion is not expected to change.

Longtime Culver City market owner and community activist Albert Vera swept into first place in the City Council election Tuesday, while incumbents Steven Gourley and James D. Boulgarides held on to their seats, successfully weathering campaign accusations that they foster an anti-business atmosphere.

Vera garnered 3,826 votes, followed by Gourley with 3,612 votes. Boulgarides, with 2,664 votes, squeaked past challenger Richard Alexander, who trailed by fewer than 10 votes at times during the tallying.

Alexander’s final count was 2,405 votes. Mollie (Lee) Welinsky came in last with 2,367 votes. City Treasurer Sue McCabe won her second term of office uncontested.

The City Council stand on development issues is expected to remain unchanged as a result of the election. Slow-growth citizens still have their representatives in Gourley and Boulgarides. And Vera, who largely represents the business community, is expected to be just as, if not more, pro-development than Mayor Paul A. Jacobs. Jacobs decided not to seek another term.

Vera joins the council majority of Jozelle Smith and Mike Balkman, who have said they will not apply a 56-foot height limit passed by voters in 1990 to the Sony Pictures Entertainment expansion proposal. The project, which is under environmental impact review, could be the largest project undertaken in Culver City.

Vera said that, although he is a businessman (he has operated Sorrento Italian Market for the past 30 years), he is first a resident. Vera has lived in Culver City 42 years.

“It’s common sense to welcome business,” a jubilant Vera explained on the eve of elections. “I’m going to encourage business but not let them think they can rule the city. The citizens are No. 1.”

About 29% of the city’s 19,995 registered voters cast their votes in this election, up 7% from the last city election in 1990, according to the city clerk’s office.

The height limit issue apparently did not galvanize voters. Despite candidate Welinsky’s pledge to apply the limit to the Sony project, she was not elected. Alexander’s promise to encourage business and restore the city’s eroded tax base was also not enough to get him elected.

“I think what the people are saying is that they want a balance,” Boulgarides said of the mixed slate of elected candidates.

Slow-growth activist Robin Turner felt that Vera may have confused voters about where he stood on the height-limit issue.

“At one time he said he was for the height limit,” she said. “Another time he said he’d do whatever he could for Sony.”

Gourley said he believed that Vera’s strong finish was based on his longtime contributions to community groups and charities.

“Al Vera is a great man in our community,” he said. “I think the vote reflects his popularity and support. . . . I think that came over any political platform or political agenda.”

The three winners will primarily be consumed with the task of balancing the budget this summer. The projected deficit is $3.4 million, according to Bob Norquist, the city’s head of finance.

Gourley, who believes that he won out of “grudging respect and despite my personality,” said he will continue to push for a master plan for downtown and a two-consecutive-term limit for council members.

Gourley also pledged to continue speaking out on international as well as local issues despite the controversy it generates.

“I didn’t run on a platform of trying to please everybody,” he said, “but that I’d do what I thought was right, that I was an independent thinker and that I’d listen.”

Gourley said he will not run for a third term when the time comes.

Boulgarides, also a supporter of the two-term limit, said he will concentrate on the budget and the Sony project for the remainder of the year.

Vera, who has often said he is not a politician, said he’s not quite sure what his first order of business will be.

“It’s like if you don’t eat for a whole month and all of a sudden you have an entire table of the food you love. I don’t know what to bite into first.”

CULVER CITY 15 of 15 precincts. Votes (%) 3 Elected CITY COUNCIL Albert Vera 3,826 (24.8) Steven Gourley * 3,612 (23.4) James Boulgarides * 2,664 (17.3) Richard Alexander 2,405 (15.6) Mollie “Lee” Welinsky 2,367 (15.4) Donald Lane ** 544 (3.5)

-- An asterisk (*) denotes incumbent candidate.

-- A double asterisk (**) indicates an individual who withdrew from the election but is still on the ballot.