Local Elections:

Henderson mayoral candidates

Thursday, March 28, 2013 | 2 a.m.

Note: Questionnaire responses were not received from candidates Clayton Simmons or Kyler Robinson.

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Andy Hafen

Age: 58

Occupation: Retired

Other experience: None

Questions:

1.) As the city continues to struggle with budget deficits, what are your best one or two ideas to help balance the budget?

We will cut approximately $1.5 million in expenses so our 2013-14 budget will be balanced. We entered into another round of VESP (employee buyouts) that will save the city approximately $1 million per pay period.

2. What are one or two specific issues or projects in the city you’d address as the mayor?

I want to continue to work with Union Village to see that $2 billion project come to fruition. Also, I'm trying to help all I can in seeing the Cowabunga Bay project open on Memorial Day weekend. Finally, I will continue to facilitate FedEx in relocating to their new 1 million-square-foot distribution center, which will go into the LTA (limited transition area) near the Henderson Executive Airport.

3.) The City Council has recently supported several large development projects including a proposed stadium complex and Union Village health care complex to mixed results. What do you think the council’s role should be in supporting large developments in the city?

We should monitor these projects closely and assist in any way we can to see these projects are built. They represent an economic boom to this city. One of our goals is economic diversification.

4.) Have you differed with any positions or votes taken by the City Council in the past several years? If so, please give specific examples.

I can't think of very many votes where the council has differed in their opinion. We don't always agree, but when we do none of us take it personally.

I think this council is united in seeing the city be the premier city in America, the best place to live, work and play!
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Eddie "In Liberty" Hamilton

Age: 70

Occupation: Chrysler Corp. executive and business owner

Other experience: Member of Clark County Republican and Nevada Republican State Central committees

Questions:

1.) As the city continues to struggle with budget deficits, what are your best one or two ideas to help balance the budget?

My mayoral campaign is about "Lean & Clean, noncorrupt city hall for Henderson." Incumbent Mayor (Andy) Hafen has failed as the CEO for the Henderson city government, as follows: He has not balanced the city budget in almost four years. The bureaucracy is extremely bloated where managers/executives are paid obscene salaries and other compensation. They only work a four-day week, at full-time pay, while executive folks in the private sector work a five- or six-day week. As mayor, I intend to introduce reforms to correct the imbalance. The city manager — who has failed to submit a balanced budget every year — earns about $400,000 in total compensation, including office perks. I will ask him to resign. Another egregious example, the dog-catcher-in chief costs the taxpayers almost $200,000 annually! This expensive position will be eliminated.

2. What are one or two specific issues or projects in the city you’d address as the mayor?

Like the Watergate scandal of 1972, currently we are in the midst of million-dollar "Henderson-gate" land sale scandal. The Union Village project on U.S. 95 at Galleria Mall Road is also not going anywhere. The science museum is costing millions. The city government is corrupt and works like a mafia cabal. All grandiose projects must be reviewed by a new mayor (to protect the taxpayers).

3.) The City Council has recently supported several large development projects including a proposed stadium complex and Union Village health care complex to mixed results. What do you think the council’s role should be in supporting large developments in the city?

The process should not have been driven by a culture of corruption. Special-interest large campaign donations have succeeded in buying access ("political juice"). Bad decisions have ensued and transparency in government has gone by the wayside. Very little due diligence was performed during the process. As mayor, I will stop the cancer of corruption in city government and drain the swamp of corrupt practices.

4.) Have you differed with any positions or votes taken by the City Council in the past several years? If so, please give specific examples.

Expensive annual personnel compensations, costly payoff of employee-termination lawsuits, golden parachutes for incompetent managers, managers/executives only working a four-day week (unlike five- or six-day week in the private sector), careless review of multimillion-dollar land projects.
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Jerry Sakura

Age: 73

Occupation: Retired international business executive

Other Experience:

Foreign exchange student to Sweden (AFS) 1956; Beta Theta Pi National Fraternity; lifetime member of the VFW; Navy officer (Lt.), 1963-67; lifetime member of the Jewish War Veterans; Vietnam Combat Medal; Navy Commendation Medal; American adviser and director, Mekong Group of Companies, Saigon, Vietnam 1966-71; director, Harmony Foods, London, 1972-75 (forerunner of Whole Foods); co-founder Southern California Venture Capital Symposium; Broker of the Year with CB Richard Ellis, Newport Beach, Calif.; senior vice president, Pacific Mutual Reality Advisors, N.B., Ca (sister firm of PIMCO); founder, the Chess Athletes Foundation (to reduce teenage and adult obesity and increase aerobic fun, co-ed sports competition and possible 2016 Olympic demonstration sport)

Questions:

1.) As the city continues to struggle with budget deficits, what are your best one or two ideas to help balance the budget?

I support legalization of marijuana for recreational use. This, in itself, would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in the cost of incarceration of many of our young adults as well as reducing the need for a number of police officers' salaries, retirement benefits, etc. The possible underfunding, in general, of "defined" benefits is a "hundred-pound gorilla in the room.” … What will happen to our property tax bills when we have hundreds of retirees civil servants, like New Jersey? Henderson is a very young, vibrant city on the world scale. I have been fortunate to have lived in young cities (Henderson, Newport Beach/Irvine), old cities (New York City, London) and even ancient cities (Saigon, Vietnam), and Henderson has really only gone through one down cycle.

2. What are one or two specific issues or projects in the city you’d address as the mayor?

Not applicable (I haven't been on the City Council)

3.) The City Council has recently supported several large development projects including a proposed stadium complex and Union Village health care complex to mixed results. What do you think the council’s role should be in supporting large developments in the city?

Large development projects, per se, are not the problem. Lobbyists are! How in the world could the City Council not see the potential conflict of interest potential when reviewing our 458-acre "stadium" project, where the BLM adviser would make a $400,000 plus "success fee"?

4.) Have you differed with any positions or votes taken by the City Council in the past several years? If so, please give specific examples.

I would have found a way not to close the library branch versus trimming the budget in other ways.
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Joe Scala

Age: 54

Occupation: Design builder/Classic car restorer

Other experience: Navy veteran, lifelong small business owner/entrepreneur.

Questions:

1.) As the city continues to struggle with budget deficits, what are your best one or two ideas to help balance the budget?

To start, I'd put in a freeze on all future parks spending. Next, I believe that all outside agency contracts should be reviewed in-depth to be sure we're getting the right sourcing. These contracts will all be "competitive bid" in order to ensure we get the best product for the most reasonable cost. I'd enforce liquidated damages on all contracts not meeting standards outlined in said contracts. It comes down to common sense and due diligence.

2.) What are one or two specific issues or projects in your city you’d address as mayor?

True revitalization of Water Street, using strategies such as reduced licensing fees for new business owners and a concise plan to attract these new business within a six month schedule to fill all empty suites. Second, City Hall needs to change how it treats small businesses. I plan to show my support for small businesses by opening up "small business workshops" to be hosted at City Hall where local business leaders, active and retired, can get together and exchange ideas and strategies for success.

3.) The city council has recently supported several large development projects including a proposed stadium complex and Union Village healthcare complex to mixed results. What do you think the council’s role should be in supporting large developments in the city?

While I think it is important to always be ready to seize any big opportunity for the city, these pie-in-the-sky projects should only be considered once the city is well-heeled. We need to have a strong foundation, centered around our small business community, in order to be able to properly support any project of that size.

4.) Have you differed with any positions or votes taken by the city council in the past several years? If so, please give specific examples.

Along with the obvious (stadium deals, the pushing through of water fee increases), when Henderson voted on easement for The District and Green Valley Ranch. I believe that while this was once a community gathering place, the easement is taking that away. All in all, the city council has dropped the ball when it comes to small businesses in the city and I find that is unacceptable.
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Rick Workman

Age: 56

Occupation: Accreditation coordinator (Henderson Police Department, civilian); part-time affiliate instructor, Regis University

Other experience:

• U.S. Air Force, 20 years (enlisted and officer) — supervisor, manager and commander entrusted with management of many multimillion-dollar projects and assets over $2 billion

• University instructor (part time, 20 years)

• Police officer (1979-1985, Lompoc, Calif.)

Questions:

1. As the city continues to struggle with budget deficits, what are your best one or two ideas to help balance the budget?

A. First, stop the bleeding. The city recently authorized spending $5 million for another wave of employee buyouts and touted that as the plan to balance the budget. Stop the buyouts and look within the city at the current employees who have the experience and skills to make our city whole again. Those employees are also key to identifying sources of wasteful spending. ... If we cut too much, service levels to our seniors, fixed-income, middle-income, and unemployed/underemployed residents will suffer.

B. Let large private developers bear the costs of developing their own projects. If a project is not financially viable and the risk is too great, they will not proceed. … Successful privately developed projects will generate jobs and revenue for the city.

2. What are one or two specific issues or projects in the city you’d address as the mayor?

Stop the untimely and unrealistic major projects that only waste tax dollars and could bankrupt Henderson.

A. The current mayor pushed large development projects, including a proposed multisports arena, without the advice and consent of the citizens.

B. The city spent millions of tax dollars preparing the land for the Union Village project that was to be an “integrated health village,” with St. Rose Dominican Hospitals as the anchor unit of a proposed hospital complex and health center. As city officials and developers began to see dollar signs, the project grew, and St. Rose pulled out. The city hasn’t provided details about the stalled project other than wait and hope. The citizens and I want to know what we have gained for the millions of dollars we’ve already spent. How much more will the stalled (failed?) project cost us?

3. The City Council has recently supported several large development projects including a proposed stadium complex and Union Village health care complex to mixed results. What do you think the council’s role should be in supporting large developments in the city?

As mayor, I will encourage private development of the areas when and where feasible. The government must step back and let private developers come up with viable plans, communicate them to the public and seek proper zoning changes. Our best planned communities — Henderson is full of them — are the result of experienced private developers who were not subject to a lot of unnecessary government meddling. … All potential land rezoning must become part of a new Henderson Master Land Use Plan and conducted completely in the open and with full participation of the public.

4.) Have you differed with any positions or votes taken by the City Council in the past several years? If so, please give specific examples.

The city has spent, and continues to spend, tens of millions of dollars on redevelopment of the downtown area. We need to maintain an environment that will help create and maintain jobs. However, a walk down Water Street will show a couple of new buildings and a lot of fresh paint but a lot of empty buildings. … We must stop throwing money away while the city fiddles with uncertainty regarding the area. One recent example is the unanimous approval on March 19, 2013, by the city council of the sale of the Pinnacle Building at 203 Water St. for $510,000. That figure was, as testified to in the meeting, less than the appraised value.