Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sun Endorsements:

With three cities in strong recovery, don’t mess with what works

Our society is filled with critics. We yell at our TV sets when our favorite quarterback overthrows his receivers three times in a row. We growl at our food server if it takes too long to have our iced tea refilled. We grumble at the sales clerk for chatting with another customer while we restlessly tap our feet, waiting for our turn.

But we still root for our quarterback because overall he’s a winner, we still eat at the same restaurant for its predictably good food and service, and we still shop at that store because the clerks there are consistently cheery and know us by name.

This should also reflect how we relate to the people we elect to represent us in government. They may do something now and again that aggravates us — supporting an issue, for instance, that we disagree with, or embracing a development that seems too ambitious or promotes an activity that we don’t care about.

But that’s when we need to step back and examine the larger picture and take the person’s measure for the overall body of his or her work, not just a specific litmus test. Overall, are we pleased by their decisions? Are the cities we live in stronger and facing a brighter future today than they were a few years ago? If we were to view the elected officials who guide our cities as akin to a board of director of a company, and if that company is doing well, would there be any overriding reason to boot them off the board at the next stockholders meeting?

That’s how we feel about the primary elections for city councils in Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas. (Early voting started this weekend.)

The cities were hit hard by the recession. And much to the credit of their city councils’ hard policy decisions and effective execution by staffs, each is recovering at a pace that might seem remarkable. That is why we are endorsing the incumbents seeking re-election in these three cities. While we encourage citizen involvement and tip our hat to those who have the civic spirit to run for office, there is little reason in this election to elect someone who is untested on a city council when we already have confidence in the incumbents for jobs well done.

In fact, our larger concern is that voters who are complacently content with how their cities are operating will sit the election out, feeling no urgent need to weigh in. That would leave the door open for lesser-qualified candidates to be elected and possibly derail the good momentum.

And if you think your vote doesn’t matter, recall this: Four years ago, North Las Vegas incumbent City Councilman Richard Cherchio lost re-election by a single vote.

These are our endorsements for election to their respective city councils:

Las Vegas

Mayor Carolyn Goodman is facing three opponents in her bid for a second term, the most serious being Councilman Stavros Anthony. Goodman rightfully is enjoying the glow of downtown development but has encountered criticism for her support of a soccer stadium that would have tapped the city for almost $100 million in funds and land. The stadium plan was scuttled after Major League Soccer said it wasn’t ready to move to Las Vegas. So that was that.

Goodman is unapologetic for pushing the stadium, and we don’t think she needs to apologize, either. When it comes to economic growth in Las Vegas during her service, the balance sheet of investments in the city is well in the black. The mayor is pushing Las Vegas to be the best it can be. Like her husband in the best of ways, she is a bold, visionary leader, driven by all the best reasons. We applaud her unbridled passion and look forward to her continued leadership for another four years.

We are equally excited that three other members of the City Council are seeking re-election. Former teacher and school board member Lois Tarkanian has represented Ward 1 for a dozen years. She is as devoted as anyone to the city, her leadership framed by her reasoned voice and wealth of experience. We support former state Sen. Bob Coffin for re-election in Ward 3 because he has proved to be independent, savvy and a strong champion for his constituents. He’s a veteran of government and the formation of public policy, which serves the city well. In Ward 5, Ricki Barlow has consistently been a popular and effective advocate who understands how the city runs and serves its citizens.

North Las Vegas

This city can certainly claim bragging rights for its remarkable economic turnaround after years of financial missteps. Though not yet out of the woods, the city is moving in the right direction under Mayor John Lee and the other members of the City Council. It is important for the city to stay the course.

Incumbent Pamela Goynes-Brown, a school vice principal, has proved her understanding and love of the city and certainly has earned her seat for another four years. In the other seat up for election, Councilman Wade Wagner — the man who beat then-incumbent Richard Cherchio by one vote four years ago — has decided to step down. The city is fortunate that Cherchio, a retired postal worker, is seeking election. Despite his disappointing defeat in 2011, he has proved he genuinely loves his community by remaining active in civic affairs. He understands what’s at stake and works well with others while remaining independent.

Henderson

Clark County is filled with lovely neighborhoods, but no city seems to be so widely branded as a great place to live and work as Henderson. That’s not by mistake. Even in hard economic times, the city has kept its eye on quality of life and economic development. Voters there should keep that focus by returning three incumbents to office for another term.

Eight-year council member Gerri Schroder has made her service to the city a full-time avocation. Coming from a background in government affairs, she is steeped in community involvement, serving on an impressively wide assortment of organizations and advisory groups that, among other things, promote the arts, youth achievement, economic development and diversity. Debra March, who has served on the council since 2009, is especially savvy in the nuances of smart community planning and economic development, and values quality of life. Sam Bateman is seeking a second term on the council. He brings with him experience as a member and chairman of the Planning Commission and the sensibilities and questioning skills of a criminal prosecutor, which he is. All three are dedicated to Henderson’s bright future.

Your job

Good people stand ready to serve another four years to support their communities’ upward trajectories. All we ask of you is to take a few minutes to vote, because staying home will jeopardize the progress these cities have made.

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