Monday, May 27, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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In recent months, letters to the editor have expressed concern about further growth and development, and their impact on quality of life. These impacts extend but are not limited to urban sprawl, increased traffic congestion and commute times, housing unaffordability, lower property values, and further overcrowding of classrooms.
Some residents have even complained that they are being asked to conserve water to make more available for new resorts.
Taken together with the recent Formula One event that adversely affected several businesses and prolonged the daily commutes of Strip workers, there is a growing perception that our local governments prioritize the interests of developers (and by extension, residents-to-be) and event sponsors over the interests of those who elected them.
With election season underway, we can begin to change this by choosing city council members and county commissioners who will prioritize the interests of current residents. Any candidate who supports more and more residential development (beyond affordable housing for the homeless) and continuing population growth should at least explain how this will be good for those of us already here. Such candidates may have a point but need to make their case.
