Ted Olivas, Las Vegas’ director of government and community affairs, says the three bills he’s preparing to go before the Legislature next year are “in the taxpayers’ best interest.”
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 | 2 a.m.
For the past four years, Ted Olivas has been Las Vegas’ top lobbyist, or more formally, director of government and community affairs. It’s his job to sell state lawmakers every two years on laws the city thinks should be changed or adopted. The next Legislative session starts in February.
What do city lobbyists do?
We craft bills that are in the city’s interest and try to get them passed by the Legislature. And we monitor what other cities and counties around the state are asking from the Legislature so that we can work with them because we share a lot of common issues. The city also retains a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., to handle federal issues for us, and I work with them.
What are the main issues the city needs to bring before state lawmakers?
The issues range from eminent domain and transportation, to revenues and taxation — those things that typically have an effect on local government.
How many bills will the city be proposing before legislators this coming term?
By law, we are allowed only three bill drafts per session.
What will those bills address?
The first regards the city’s stabilization fund — the money the city has at its disposal during an emergency. We think the state law should better define how you establish such a fund and how you access it.
The second regards how the city handles lawsuits filed against it in public works cases. The law mandates that an arbitrator be used, but the city believes arbitration isn’t always the best answer. We could save money by going to trial when the case warrants it.
And the third?
The third bill is about the city’s redevelopment agency. Right now, the agency can give grants to businesses that want to make visual improvements. But we’re not able to make loans. The law needs to be changed to allow that.
Will these bills meet with success in Carson City?
I’d like to think that we could easily get these bills passed. The interesting thing is that the bills focus on hot topics. Legislators are looking to save money, and these bills do that. We think the bills are in the taxpayers’ best interest.
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