NLV group makes official its intent to recall Mayor Buck

By Aida Ahmed

Published Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 | 4:10 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 | 6:16 p.m.

North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck is facing a possible recall after James Olive, vice chairman of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, as well as North Las Vegas residents Scott Sauer and Cherlynn Thomas filed a notice of intent to recall today.

Olive expressed his intent to recall the mayor last month, stating, “Mayor Buck has demonstrated an inability to effectively lead and protect the citizens of North Las Vegas. In reality, Mayor Buck has shown extraordinary leadership skills protecting the police and fire unions while she destroys the rest of the city.”

Olive said the catalyst for the recall effort was when Buck and council members Pamela Goynes-Brown and Wade Wagner voted to lay off 21 employees and close recreation centers to bridge a $4.4 million budget shortfall.

The city has since made a tentative agreement with the 350-member North Las Vegas Police Officers Association for $2 million in concessions. The deal will save Neighborhood and Silver Mesa recreation centers, as well as eliminate the need for 21 proposed layoffs this fiscal year. The City Council will vote on the agreement at a special meeting Wednesday.

The city also signed an agreement with the 57-member North Las Vegas Police Supervisors Association to save $378,000 this year.

The group has until Dec. 5 to obtain 2,466 signatures to recall the mayor, who is halfway into her four-year term. The signatures must come from people who voted in the 2009 election for mayor.

"I made a promise to the state to balance our budget, and tomorrow I'm hopeful that the POA agreement will be approved," Buck said when asked for comment on the recall effort, adding that the group has "a right to do that, but I don't know what their issues are."