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North Las Vegas City Council candidates need more work -- and maybe luck
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Let the battles continue.
Neither of North Las Vegas' City Council races was decided in Tuesday's primary, which means a couple more months of municipal election drama in the city, including the potential draw of a card to determine one second-place finisher.
Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Richard Cherchio, who garnered 44 percent of the vote, will advance to face dentist Wade Wagner, who led with 47 percent, in the June 7 general.
"I thought we were going to win it (in the primary), but I'm pleased with where we are," Wagner said. To win without going to the general election, candidates must collect more than 50 percent of the votes. "We're definitely happy, and we will continue to get our message out."
Cherchio congratulated Wagner and said he looks forward to the opportunity to have "some concrete and robust debate" on the issues.
"I don't consider this to be a negative," he said of Tuesday's outcome. "We'll have more opportunities to discuss the issues."
Cherchio, 64, has been fighting to keep the seat he was appointed to in 2009, while simultaneously being attacked by the city's public safety unions, who have campaigned against him. The feud has overshadowed the contest between the councilman and Wagner.
Meanwhile, more than half of Wagner's campaign contributions this year came from Las Vegas Valley public safety unions. North Las Vegas' police and fire unions have gone door to door to campaign against Cherchio, who voted for laying off corrections officers and butted heads with union leaders during contract concession talks.
In North Las Vegas' extremely tight Ward 2 race, William E. Robinson II, son of term-limited Councilman William Robinson, missed making it out of the primary. Instead, candidates Pamela Goynes-Brown, with 27 percent of the vote, will advance and face either Tanya Flanagan or Linda Meisenheimer, who tied for second with 21 percent of the vote each. Both women received 328 votes.
Because the two tied, either of the candidates can request a recount within three business days after the election is certified, said Larry Lomax, Clark County registrar of voters. Whoever requests the recount also has to pay for it, he said. If neither candidate requests a recount or if the recount results remain tied, the winner is determined by lot, which in Nevada traditionally means the candidates draw for high card.
Ties such as this typically happen in rural areas with tiny electorates. It happened twice in Nevada last year: first in a primary race for Nye County Commission, then to break a tie for clerk-treasurer of Eureka County. Both were ties for first place.
Lomax said he doesn't remember a case in which there has been such a tie for second place.
Goynes-Brown, 48, is an assistant principal and the daughter of Theron Goynes, who spent 20 years on the council.
Flanagan, 40, is a web content administrator for Clark County and a former Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter.
Meisenheimer, 49, is a property manager and 10-year resident of North Las Vegas.
Council members serve four-year terms and earn $41,827 a year.
Whoever is elected will join the council at a difficult time for the cash-strapped city, which in recent years has undergone several rounds of budget cuts, service reductions and layoffs. Municipal election turnout is notoriously slow in North Las Vegas, but this election was downright comatose. Only 6,637 people cast votes this year -- just 9.2 percent of the city's registered active voters.
Election workers at Sedway Middle School had seen just 61 voters by mid-afternoon. At Cheyenne High School, more people showed up to watch an afternoon baseball game than had voted all day. By 4 p.m., just 84 people had voted at the high school, or about 10 people for each election worker there.
About 224,940 people live in North Las Vegas.
Review-Journal writer Henry Brean contributed to this report. Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.
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Wade Wagner where were you last night? You could have been at the Ceremony Awarding some talented young student athletes from Canyon Springs High School who won the state champion in basketball. What am I saying that would require you to attend your seventh NLV City Council Meeting in 46 years. I forget you said you considered being a Councilman part time work. Even a part timer should show respect to young men who represent the City of NLV and accomplish such a difficult task.
Vote Them Out - You never respond to factual arguments. Why? You just keep throwing half-truths and personal insults tailored to suit your purpose.
VTO, the $400,000 you are talking about was to be spent anyway out of the construction budget to complete the Multi Generation Center. The $400,000 was for furniture, equipment and fixtures that would have to be installed no matter who ran this facility. Please go to regular City Council meeting minutes Item 21 Multi-Gen. Center then go to files under Expenditures Prior to Opening (using construction budget). Like so many of our parks and pools the city has no money to operate them so they are either closed or not opened at all. The YMCA is a non-profit organization that has agreed to work with the City of NLV to run this facility at no cost to NLV other than utilities which would be on anyway. The YMCA works in Las Vegas the same way. Are you suggesting that the NLV taxpayer be penalized for a bad economy that restricts the Parks service from operating a brand new Center paid for by Tax payers. Once again you only use the information that suits your purpose. You should realize you are being watched and your lies will not go unanswered.
Your right the city council would never ask their employees to give up and sacrifice anything just so they could spend money on frivolous things.
Welcome to planet earth, nice to meet you.
Hello friend the employees just gave up about 25 million in concessions and the city couldn't wait 3 months to go on a spending spree. $500,000 for a study, $400,000 to the YMCA for furniture. Any more jokes?
Vote them out, The City Hall Complex was always intended to have retail and office space for rent. When the economy tanked the City Council could not justify asking its employees to make sacrifices and then spend $2,000,000 on furniture. Because of that the City Council decided not to buy new furniture, but just transfer the exiting City Hall furniture to the new facility. Once again vto you use just enough information to make an invalid point.
Vote them out, the plan you say the Fire Department put forward was to charge NLV tax payers for transport and charging visitors to our City for emergency care and putting out vehicle fires plus additional fees for equipment used. NLV tax payers have already paid for this once. All of this creative financing started because the City Council begged the IFF for help in balancing NLV's budget. The Fire Fighters justified this taxation by suggesting a NLV tax payer could file a claim with their Insurance company and they would pay the bill charged by the Fire Department. With so many claims being registered by the Insurance Instute about NLV what do you think NLV voters premiums would sky rocket to. What the Fire Fighters are really saying is No way will we help. Make the citizens and visitors of NLV pay. We don't live here what do we care.
Vote them out , We just got back from the City Council meeting. Some of the candidates for ward seats were in attendance. You would think that Wade Wagner might show up since he is so concerned about NLV and with the Fire fighters contract on the agenda, but no he didn't show. If Wade Wagner had shown up it would have been his seventh time at a City Council meeting by his estimates. Thats quite an accomplishment for a candidate who has lived in NLV for 46 years. It's obvious he is deeply concerned about the citizens of NLV.
Vote them out, I do believe you have made a valid point about part time workers making to much money. When you say part time don't forget the Mayor and Fire fighters.
I would just like to point out that none of Richard Cherchio's supporters have had to tell half-truths or make up stories to make their point. This is clearly not the case for Vote Them Out. Again, I suggest that everyone check the details of the allegations being made against Mr. Cherchio. None of them are true. Mr. Cherchio has been tireless in his dedication to the tough job of serving on the City Council. Flame-throwers like "Vote Them Out" usually have an ulterior motive for their attacks, and their negativity reveals their true character.
Vote Them Out - Medic West is a private employer that pays both wages and taxes. Your scheme to have NLV firefighters transport emergency patients would essentially transfer all of that economic activity into the public sector. The purpose of government is not to create revenue so that it can pay unsustainable salaries and benefits to its employees. Isn't the City's new mantra something about being "open for business." In addition, if you have complaints about the cost of building and maintaining the new City Hall, those issues belong at the feet of the previous Mayor and Council. They were the ones who recklessly issued bonds for plush new buildings and unneeded utility infrastructure. How ironic that Mayor Buck's allies now use this against Mr. Cherchio. Let me also say that, unlike lackluster Council members like Robinson and Eliason, Mr. Cherchio and Mrs. Wood are truly engaged in their community, and he work far more than the four hours per week that you suggest. Not all of us make our living sitting on the couch and collecting overtime like you.