City Hall prepares for changing of guard

Anyone who walks into City Hall these days is immediately reminded of the coming municipal election, thanks to large signs leading people to the early voting polls inside and a red tape straddling the plaza that marks the official distance where campaigning is allowed.

But the ballot casting about to get under way in the clerk's office isn't the only place where the election is a top priority.

Throughout city departments a general sense of unease and anxiety -- coupled with prognostications -- seem to monopolize trips to the water cooler and rides in the elevator. And current Mayor Jan Laverty Jones' recent weeks of vacation time are further hints of the coming change in leadership.

Theories abound within different city divisions on who will win the primaries for mayor and the two open council seats. Topics range from whether a run-off is inevitable and what percentage of votes each candidate will get.

The mayoral race elicits a range of ideas about the three front-runners in the field of nine candidates, including "staying the course" with City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, "trying new ideas" with developer Mark Fine and thoughts of "what will happen" with criminal defense attorney Oscar Goodman.

"I don't know why, but people get nervous about elections," City Manager Virginia Valentine said. "It's not as if things are going to be vastly different, it's just that everyone seems to be a little edgy."

In Las Vegas, the mayor is one of five council members -- each with the same voting power -- in what the city charter defines as a city manager-led government.

Although Jones has wanted the city to have a strong mayor-style government, her voice has been just one of five on the council.

Yet because Jones has led the city for eight years, some veteran staff members are having difficulty imagining another person's style taking the reign as official leader.

"There's a lot of interest in employees as far as where are we going to go long-term," Human Resources Director Rick Anderson said.

In addition, some vacant city management positions are going unfilled until after the election so the new council and mayor will have a chance to see how those positions fit into the next fiscal-year budget, Anderson said.

Councilmen Michael McDonald and Gary Reese both face opposition in their re-election bids. Adamsen will have to resign his council seat after the election due to city ordinance and his campaign for mayor.

A candidate must get 50 percent plus one vote in the May 4 primary to win outright. If not, the top two vote-getters for each seat will face off in the June 8 general election.

Two key city positions -- deputy city manager and assistant to the city manager -- will likely not be filled until after the election is settled, Valentine said.

John McNellis, deputy director of Public Works, has been serving as acting deputy city manager since Ann Holland resigned her position. No one has been appointed assistant to the city manager since Wilhemine "Willie" Cook resigned from that position last month.

The recent retirement of public information officer Nadia Wiggins has also left some uncertainty in that office. Dawn Christensen, the Internet coordinator, has been serving as acting public information officer since Wiggins' last day April 8.

"Right now is not the time to bring in a new person," said Director of Communications Cathy Hanson.

Hanson, who was originally a spokeswoman for Jones -- and who still spends much of her official time handling Jones' press calls -- said she will remain with the city after Jones departs.

Meanwhile, some are wondering whether Jones has already left the city -- in spirit and in body.

Jones attended Monday's council meeting, but is spending the rest of the week on vacation to care for her father, who has been ill. She is out of town for the rest of the week, Hanson said Wednesday.

Jones was also either out of town or on vacation for the two weeks leading up to Easter.

"She's not been keeping as busy a schedule as she once did," Hanson said.

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