Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Q+A: Steve Seroka:

Air Force veteran seeks Ward 2 seat

Steve Seroka

Steve Seroka, a 30-year U.S. Air Force veteran, is among three candidates running against Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Beers in the Ward 2 race.

After serving more than 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, Steve Seroka planned to enjoy the rest of his life without the politics of the military or the pressures of a high-ranking position. When politics came to his doorstep, however, Seroka felt called to answer.

Motivated in large part by a protracted dispute over development of the Badlands golf course and what he felt is a lack of accountability by Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Beers, Seroka is running for Beers’ Ward 2 seat. Christina Roush and Laura Feher are also competing in the April 4 primary election. Early voting began March 18.

The Sun recently interviewed Seroka. Excerpts from the interview follow:

Why do you believe your military service would help you serve on the City Council?

I have worked with large budgets and have been responsible for being a good steward for every tax dollar. At the Pentagon, I represented more than 300,000 Air Force people, and those people were responsible to work with an organization of 2.3 million people. Every dollar we spent was Monday morning-quarterbacked and challenged, so every decision had to be done in an upright manner.

The values that the military requires of you — character, integrity, honesty, not being beholden to anyone who may be trying to woo you to a job after your time in the military — are a great proving ground for City Council.

You could have chosen any number of directions after retiring from the military. Why would you choose politics?

It’s an extension of the things I’ve been doing in the community. I had a great position (as chief of staff) at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. It exposed me to a lot, but I realized I needed to spread my wings. I left there with a passion for the community. My understanding of veterans could help. I saw that I could link our renewable-energy efforts here to our national security and help our business community down the road.

My high standard for leadership was not close to being met. It was being violated by there being no accountability and our representative backing the opposite side of the voice of the people.

Badlands has become the campaign’s central issue. How do you feel that Councilman Beers has failed in this regard and how would you do better?

Our councilman has picked a side, and I found that to be inappropriate. He appears to be too cozy with the developer, and I find that to be inappropriate. Our councilman has said there is no alternative to giving the developer anything he wants except for his proposed solution, which is for the taxpayer to buy the land back.

I have proposed a plan that respects the rights of the developer and the rights of the homeowners at no taxpayer dollars (of) expense. I’m sad to say that’s not how my position is being represented.

What other issues concern you?

Bob Beers has made statements advocating for the non-competed extension of the Republic Services’ 15-year contract, for another 15 years even though the current contract has approximately four years left in it. Ethics would require you to compete every contract to get the best service, the best value and to allow other companies and other contractors in our community an opportunity to compete. Where I come from, it would be an ethical violation to not compete for a contract, especially of this magnitude. It would put your career in jeopardy to not do this.

This is a nonpartisan office. Where would you say you fall on the political spectrum?

My message appeals to both sides of the aisle. People value being reasonable. I am a registered Democrat. The thoughts that I share, because it’s a nonpartisan race, tear down party walls. I’m happy for that because at this time of division in our country, we need to look out for each other and move our country forward.

The Sun asked Councilman Beers to respond. Excerpts from his email response follow:

On leadership: I have been over our records in Ward 2. He has not once reached out to my office to express an opinion on anything. Or to offer his help with anything.

On Badlands:

This is wrong in many ways and simply not true. I have spent hundreds of hours and read hundreds of pages over the past 18 months specifically on the Badlands situation. I have attended meetings large and small, public and private and at odd hours. Under the law, the City Council granted development rights to the golf course 35 years ago. If the City Council takes those development rights away, it has committed "inverse condemnation," a taking. That's because land zoned residential has a higher market value than land that is not zoned for development. The difference in value is the amount taxpayers will have to pay the developer. City government, at my direction, doesn’t want to pay anything. So the city has been focusing on what kind of development — is there a better alternative to the basic right to quarter- and half-acre lots the land has long been entitled to, or could something grander be designed?

On Republic Services:

Our incumbent utility has high customer satisfaction and manages to keep our rates low. With four years left on its contract, it is prudent for the city to start the process of choosing our future direction. We have asked: “Thanks for what you’ve done for us lately. What are you going to do for us tomorrow?” City staff has negotiated us into a “starting position” that has just been introduced for public discussion. To suggest something untoward is going on, or something is deceptive, is, well, pure posturing political pander.

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