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Wagner takes oath as North Las Vegas councilman
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Duane Prokop/Las Vegas Review-Journal
North Las Vegas City Clerk Karen Storms, right, swears in Wade Wagner as a city councilman. His wife, Rebecca, stands by his side. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
After a judge cleared the way, Wade Wagner was sworn in as a North Las Vegas city councilman Monday night.
Wagner defeated incumbent Richard Cherchio by a single vote in the June 7 election. But the election was tied up in court by several lawsuits after it was discovered that an election worker had mistakenly allowed someone to vote in the wrong ward.
District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez resolved the legal challenges Monday afternoon, allowing Wagner, a 48-year-old dentist and a Republican, to become the new councilman from Ward 4.
Another judge, Douglas Smith, had issued a restraining order Thursday prohibiting Wagner from taking office until a new election could be held -- although the judge allowed the City Council to canvass the general election results that night.
Lawyers for both sides agreed to consolidate all the lawsuits filed in this matter. Bradley Schrager, Cherchio's attorney, voluntarily withdrew Smith's restraining order Monday, paving the way for Wagner to take office.
Neither Wagner nor Cherchio attended Monday's court hearing. Wagner was on Mount Charleston with his daughter and out of cellphone range.
Keith Buck, who worked on Wagner's campaign and is the husband of North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck, had to drive up the mountain to inform Wagner that he had won.
"I was ecstatic," Wagner said. "It was a long haul. I'm glad that part of it is over and we can move ahead."
He drove down the mountain and got dressed for the swearing-in ceremony at City Hall. He can take his seat on the council at its regular meeting Wednesday. He told reporters he's waiting to be briefed so he can tackle the city's problems, which include a $6.6 million budget deficit.
"We just want to move forward, make the city a good place to be," he said, "and see if we can't turn this ship around."
But Cherchio hasn't surrendered. Contacted after the hearing, he said he would seek a recount. Under state law, he must make that request no later than Wednesday .
The recount could be the end of the matter or simply the start of another round of court battles.
If the results are the same -- 1,831 votes for Wagner, 1,830 for Cherchio -- Judge Gonzalez's ruling stands and the dispute is resolved.
But if the recount yields more surprises, Cherchio, 64, vowed to fight.
"The people of North Las Vegas in general and Ward 4 in particular deserve nothing less," he said.
Cherchio, a Democrat, blamed his loss on public safety workers. He said he was targeted by police and firefighters unions after he requested the two groups to take pay cuts and layoffs "and suffer with the rest of North Las Vegas."
"With the state of the city, this economy, proper long-term leadership is important, and when you have a disputed election you should have a recount. Until that process plays out there is no legitimate election," he said.
Photographer Duane Prokop contributed to this report. Contact Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.
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The best man won. Get over it. Cherchio is a slicked back hair, smooth talking, gold chain, cheesy mustache, bowling shirt wearing jabroni. Now he'll have some time to refect on his actions and to dress up his dog and host tea parties. Weirdo. Seriously dude. Grow a pair.
Knowsbetter NOT has no idea what is a good deal to tax payers. I have almost 27 years on the job as a firefighter. If I worked a 40 hours a week, I would make 49,000 a year. The difference is I work a 56 hour a week job. Those extra 16 hours a week firefighters work do it at straight time, which is an advantage for the tax payers. After we work those extra 16 hours a week we are paid overtime. We are paid overtime because the city's and county find it cheaper to pay us overtime than to hire more.
Knowsnot notion that we are involved in some kind of vast criminal conspiracy does not hold water and why when the actual facts are known, the average HONEST citizen reply is, "you really worked 290 hours per month last year? No wonder you made so much."
On the other hand, when the dishonest or ill informed say we make almost twice that and only work 10 days a month, to anyone not in possession of facts that would seem excessive, but as we know, your version is far from the truth and why I keep saying and you keep wondering why the politicians wont listen to you. Then in an absence of facts, it becomes easier for your little minds to grasp that we buy our politicians.
A recount starts tomorrow?
Knowsbetter and Tom.P.,
Just wanted to let you in on a secret, Wagner won! Now shutup and pour me another slurpee.
Re: Stargate12: it’s pretty clear to anyone that has read your exceedingly arrogant comments that you genuinely believe your self-bestowed perception of fire frauds.
Conversely, the marginally criminal “wrong doings” that the frauds have been perpetuating on every tax payer in this valley, for countless years, and for countless millions of dollars, have finally and justifiably brought appropriate public attention to the matter.
And no, we are not against fire fighters, public safety members or members of any unions in general. However, we are against the fact that the vast majority, if not 100% of hose holders in this valley are, absolutely and without any doubt whatsoever are being unjustly compensated well in excess of what they could possibly warrant. Therefore, we are also publically against all of your so choosen political puppets (such as Wagner). And to answer your other question, YES! without any doubt whatsoever, virtually every tax payer in this valley finds it beyond any realm of acceptability that any union, (particularly a “public safety” union) has the money, or ability, to in any way whatsoever control, or even influence politics, or politicians anywhere at anytime! Particularly in consideration of the fact that almost all NLV Fire Frauds don’t reside in, nor do business in the City of North Las Vegas. Consequently it has become obvious to North Las Vegas tax payers that you and your arrogant buddies are solely and exclusively concerned with one thing, and that one thing happens to be how money you can continue to extort from the tax payers of NLV. By whatever unscrupulous, underhanded means that you can possibly come up with.
However, please rest assured that regardless of however this is matter is eventually settled, frauds such as yourself, will never again be considered anything more than a public embarrassment to whatever community you and your associates happen to be attempting to hold hostage at the time.
For the record, I do not work for MedicWest/AMR, but I do support the right for private businesses to operate in North Las Vegas. And again, I emphasize that the purpose of local government is NOT to pay unsustainable salaries to public safety employees. I am a local resident of North Las Vegas, and I am disgusted that my local elected officials are bought and paid for by police and fire unions whose members DO NOT LIVE in North Las Vegas. I simply think that local elected officials should represent their constituents rather than overpaid public servants. If you had any sense you would also realize that the judges who ruled in favor of the unions were NOT judging them on the content of their ridiculous campaign materials. The unions won in court because their contracts, as approved by the City Council, were valid. I actually think the judge ruled correctly in favor of the police unions. I don't like it because I think their current unsustainable salaries and benefits are contributing to the City's financial woes, but a contract is a contract. The judge's ruling is actually as very real indication of how poorly the City Attorney and Council negotiated those contracts. As a citizen, I recognize the need for excellent police and fire protection, but other city services are also VITAL to the well-being of the community. Of course, you will probably disagree because I think you are one of the many public union members who DO NOT LIVE in North Las Vegas. I can totally understand why you don't give a rat's a-- what happens to quality of life here.
By the way, here's a quote by Tom.p found on a June 8th post.... Hmmmm.... I wonder who he works for?!!
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tom.p wrote on June 08, 2011 11:53 PM:
@John.Pace - Regarding your final comment about MedicWest/AMR, are you against private business and private employers succeeding in the City of North Las Vegas? MedicWest is a large operation employing hundreds of managers, dispatchers, drivers and skilled emergency personnel. They pay relatively high wages - and taxes. It doesn't make sense to me that we would want to drive this company out of North Las Vegas so that we could increase revenue coming in to pay unsustainable salaries and benefits to public employees. Local government is not in business just to keep firemen and police employed. If the service can be performed more efficiently by the private sector (better service at cheap cost) then let's support private enterprise that actually contributes to the stability of the community. This was another inconsistency in Wade Wagner's views on local politics. His campaign mailers said that he had a plan to attract businesses to NLV. Well, MedicWest is a successful business that is already here. If the political claims made by Wagner (and Buck) were honest, they would fully support this business. But they don't. This is because their political rhetoric is hollow and they don't support anything but getting elected. Again, all of this just indicates to me that most NLV voters are woefully uninformed.
Cherchio should be embarrassed! There's no coming back from this political mess!
@NLV guy:I don't know if fire and police are planning a recall on Wood and Eliason. But if they do, I think you'll see the exact same outcome as with cherchio! Maybe they should just learn that the public wants public safety cut last! Every job is not equal! Some provide a higher priority service than others! The public knows this. I think the politicians are figuring this lesson out As well, but unfortunately the hard way!
Anyone who thinks big business such as AMR and Medicwest didn't own Cherchio is a fool who is blind to reality. Fact is, his ego was huge and he had a personal problem with certain people. He wanted all to bow down to him and do not even dare question him. He was corrupt as multiple news reports showed. Cherchio was also in way over his head. He had no background or education to help him, and common sense was lacking. Now he will have the time to focus on working through his multiple foreclosures he is dealing with here in the valley.