Mayoral candidates say no public money for sports arena

By Delen Goldberg

Sunday, March 13, 2011 | 7:25 p.m.

None of the leading candidates for Las Vegas mayor think public money should be used to build a sports arena, they said during a debate that aired Sunday evening on "Face to Face with Jon Ralston."

The candidates - Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown, businessman Victor Chaltiel, Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, former school administrator Carolyn Goodman and Councilman Steve Ross - all agreed that an arena should be a private enterprise.

Guinchigliani said studies have shown that Las Vegas lacks the population to sustain an arena. Brown called the idea "a pipe dream" in this economic environment.

Mayor Oscar Goodman, a strong arena advocate, has said before that tax dollars shouldn't be used but suggested earlier this month the possibility of creating a special tax district to fund such a project.

In an hour-long conversation taped last week, the candidates sparred over education and economic development issues.

Carolyn Goodman repeated her call to start an open dialogue about Clark County schools, prompting Brown to suggest she run for the school board. Las Vegas' mayor has no control over schools.

Goodman defended her position by saying that of the 145 businesses that left California last year, only five came to Southern Nevada because executives worried about the quality of Las Vegas schools.

"This should be the foremost piece to fix," she said.

Asked why her husband didn't make education a priority during his administration, Goodman said "there wasn't enough time."

Ross again pushed his jobs agenda, although he failed to answer Ralston's question about how tax credits and incentives would be paid for.

Brown suggested the city create jobs by dedicating money to public works projects. Almost $2 billion in projects are "shovel-ready," Brown said.

Giunchigliani stressed her budget know how and said that despite being pro-union, she'd fight for union concessions.

The candidates differed on how they view downtown redevelopment efforts.

Chaltiel called Neonopolis "a huge waste of tax dollars."

Giunchigliani questioned whether the city should give public property to private developers.

Brown advocated for more scrutiny over contracts.

Ross, who voted in favor of deals for companies such as Zappos, and Goodman, whose husband cut the deals, defended the incentives.

Ross and Brown, who previously sat on the city council, also denied accusations that downtown efforts trumped concern for other neighborhoods, namely Las Vegas' West side.