Our choice for Ward 6

Sunday, April 5, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.

Residents of Ward 6 in Las Vegas have a critical decision to make Tuesday in a primary election that features Councilman Steve Ross vs. Jennifer Taylor. The winner will represent the northwest city ward for the next four years.

Ross, who was first elected to the City Council in 2005, touts his responsiveness to the needs of the ward’s residents. But Ross has also brought upon himself unnecessary conflicts of interest through his full-time job as head of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council. He was warned by the Nevada Ethics Commission in 2007 that he would be walking an ethical tightrope if he took the union post, but he has not heeded that warning.

Ross has rarely mentioned his union job or abstained from votes even though he has voted to approve at least $80 million in union contracts benefiting his members, a Sun news story reported in February.

Ross, in February, also voted in favor of proceeding with a proposed new city hall, with an estimated price tag of $150 million to $267 million. He voted for the proposal even though it was obvious to everyone, including more than 300 unemployed members of his union group’s largest affiliate who attended the vote, that the project would provide a bonanza of union construction jobs.

We don’t oppose votes that create jobs — union or not. But there has to be a better way to create jobs than to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a monument to city government. Before that occurs, the public should be given the opportunity to decide whether it would be more cost-effective to consolidate Las Vegas and Clark County governments.

Ross’ opponent, Taylor, is a lawyer with the complex civil litigation firm Robertson & Vick. This is her first attempt at elected office, but she has been active in the community, notably as co-founder of the group Northwest Residents for Responsible Growth and as an opponent of the Kyle Canyon Gateway project, which is now in limbo because of financial problems.

Taylor opposes the city hall proposal. It is hard to argue with her position that there should be more transparency in government, including more frequent disclosure of campaign contributions. Another positive aspect of her candidacy is her belief that Las Vegas should more aggressively pursue green jobs at a time when the city is experiencing a recession.

Taylor would bring a fresh, independent voice to the council.

The Sun endorses Jennifer Taylor.