Prepping for his next run?Joe Mallahan finally settled his campaign debts. He also took a step towards silencing a particularly noisy dog that hounded him during his unsuccessful run for mayor.By writing a check for $34,516, Mallahan’s campaign is no longer in the red. Meaning he spent more than $300,000 of his own money to finish second.As Emily Heffter reports, Mallahan also got his vote in on time for this week’s school-levy election. Something Mayor Mike McGinn failed to do.Mallahan took some well-deserved shots for failing to vote in half the elections for which he was eligible since 2001. So was this week’s tally just a sign that he’s got a soft-spot for the kids? Or is he wisely reinforcing a soft spot in his armor in preparation for the next campaign?