City Hall prepares for new residents

The moving taking place as a result of the redistricting process in Las Vegas isn't limited to boundary lines and citizens flocking to the new wards to establish residency so they can seek two City Council appointments.

The denizens of City Hall's 10th floor are also on the move.

Thursday was dress-down day for City Manager Virginia Valentine's staff as they carted boxes of books and papers down the elevator two floors to their new digs.

Valentine and her two assistant city managers, Steven Houchens and Douglas Selby, along with their staffs and the communications department, are moving to make room for the two new council members who will move in by year's end.

But the physical move isn't the only shake-up as a result of redistricting.

Mayor Oscar Goodman and others on the council are trying to downplay the rumored front-runner status of Lawrence Weekly and Orlando Sanchez for those appointments.

"I'm not going to make up my mind until I'm done interviewing everyone who's interested," Goodman said, adding that he intends to select "the best person" regardless of ethnicity, employment or residency.

"I don't think it's necessary that a Hispanic has to have a Hispanic representing them," Goodman said. "Philosophically speaking, I think that some special-interest groups, in seeking to have self-representation, in fact, foster segregation."

Goodman said he has no particular problem appointing two city employees to the post. Both Weekly and Sanchez work for the city and seem to have enough support from a majority of the council to gain the appointments.

Those rumors do not sit well with the others seeking appointment.

State Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas, has told council members they should ask Gov. Kenny Guinn to convene a special session of the Legislature to authorize a special election in Las Vegas for the two seats.

A law, approved this past session, mandated that the City Council expand by two seats if voters approved such a measure during the June general election. The state law, sponsored by Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, also requires the council to appoint people to the new seats by Jan. 1, 2000.

Collins estimates it would cost $60,000 to convene the Legislature and another $60,000 to hold a special election, but he said it is the only fair way to fill the seats.

During the 1997 Legislature, Collins introduced a draft bill that would have required special elections to be held every time a council seat opens. However, local governments successfully defeated that measure.

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald downplayed the rumored ascension to the seats by Weekly and Sanchez by saying, "I have concerns about appointing two city employees."

It is also possible Councilman Gary Reese will abstain from any vote to appoint Weekly, who serves as his ward liaison. A vote on Weekly could thus end in a 2-2 deadlock.

Goodman will unveil the final map of the city wards, in the form of an ordinance, on Sept. 15. The ordinance will then be sent to the Recommending Committee for a Sept. 27 public hearing.

The appointments could come as soon as Oct. 6, meaning that any of the citizens seeking those positions who live outside of the new wards must move into their new houses by Labor Day to meet the city's 30-day residency requirement.

archive