NV: North Las Vegas mayor, city leaders push back on bill to expand city council
A bill seeking to update the guiding document of North Las Vegas and expand the size of the city council exposed deep divides over leaders’ vision for the city and pitted two politicians who just months ago faced off to be its next mayor.
SB184 would seek an annual diversity audit of managerial positions, and would also expand the city council from four council members to six, shrinking each ward. North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown testified in opposition to the measure on Monday, three days after delivering a State of the City address that celebrated the city’s multicultural tenor and diversity among residents and leadership.
Proponents of the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), said that North Las Vegas leaders were tone-deaf or oblivious to the struggles experienced by certain demographics, because their wards are too large. They also said city leaders prioritize economic development, rather than what the city’s 278,000 residents need.
“While the city has done relatively well economically in recent years, it has also failed to modernize in many ways,” said Spearman, whose district covers most of North Las Vegas north of Craig Road.
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/north-las-vegas-mayor-city-leaders-push-back-on-bill-to-expand-city-council
