Final Municipal Election Primary Report

So has anything changed since last night? Well, not enough to actually change the results that looked quite apparent last night. So what happened?

In Henderson, Mayor Andy Hafen slipped just under 55%, but that's still more than enough to avoid a runoff. Incumbent Ward 3 Council Member John Marz now stands just under 52%, and that's also more than enough to avoid a June runoff. The only runoff happening here will be for Municipal Judge, as incumbent Mark Stevens only scored 42% to Sandy DiGiacomo's 41%.

Again, Las Vegas will have no June runoffs at all. Ward 2's Bob Beers and Ward 4's Stavros Anthony are still above 75%. And while Ward 6 tightened up a bit, Steve Ross still finished just below 53%, which means no June runoff.

Yet while the other two major Southern Nevada cities were ho-hum, North Las Vegas was full of drama last night. We saw both a stunning rebuke (for one) and an epic comeback (for the other) as Former State Senator John Lee defeated incumbent Mayor Shari Buck 53% to 35%. Buck won't even have the chance of a June runoff, since Lee scored over 50%. However, Ward 1 will go to June runoff, as Isaac Barron scored 45% to Jared Hardy's 25%. Yet Ward 3 won't, as incumbent Anita Wood stands at just under 52%.

Unfortunately, turnout was horrific. Overall turnout was just over 11%. Henderson turnout hovered over 12%, while Las Vegas and North Las Vegas turnout only topped 10%. Yes, it was really that bad.

It's saddening to think that so few people participated in the process. As we discussed yesterday, this is the level of government we interact with most often. This was our chance to have our say in the direction of our communities and the state of our roads, parks, community centers, police & fire services, and more. Yet, only a select few of us even bothered to participate.

There's been talk of moving the municipal elections to even numbered years. I had been leery of that before, since local elections will likely be overshadowed by federal and state level elections. But at this point, is anyone even noticing municipal elections. I guess almost 45,000 people did, but that's still quite pathetic.

Otherwise, last night's results weren't really frightening. Rather, it looks like a certain "newspaper" was embarrassed badly in its effort to meddle in Henderson City Hall politics. And "tea party" efforts to defeat Steve Ross in Las Vegas backfired. At least most of those who showed up seemed to tire of the kind of zealotry that's wreaked havoc in past cycles & other elections.

So status quo reigned supreme for most of the municipal elections yesterday. That's not entirely bad... But it would have been nice to see more voter participation.

Municipal Elections UPDATE

So today was the final day of voting for the Southern Nevada municipal election primaries. Now, we have results... At least from early voting. But in this case, that may be all we need to figure out the final results for at least most of these races.

So what's happening? So far, most incumbents are cruising.

In Henderson, Mayor Andy Hafen has likely just been reelected. He has just over 57.7% with early votes, so at this point it's unlikely he'll even have to face a runoff at this point. Perhaps Hafen really lucked out with the lack of serious opponents, as did John Marz in Ward 3. Marz now sits at 52.2%, so he's closer to the edge. He must be hoping none of his opponents caught any late momentum, so that he can also avoid a June runoff. So far, the only likely runoff looks to be for Municipal Judge (Department 1), as incumbent Mark Stevens is locked in a close race with Sandy DiGiacomo with nearly 42% a piece.

Las Vegas will likely have no June runoffs. Both Bob Beers in Ward 2 and Stavros Anthony in Ward 4 romped the early vote with over 75%, so they've likely been very securely reelected. Steve Ross wasn't quite as fortunate in Ward 6, but he will likely also be reelected as he took 55.3% of the early vote.

If Henderson & Las Vegas are mostly lacking in the drama, then North Las Vegas is swimming in it tonight! For one, this city may already have a new Mayor waiting in the wings. John Lee led incumbent Shari Buck 51.7% to 37.2% in the early vote, so Buck may not even have a chance for redemption in the June runoff! However, there will be a Ward 1 runoff, as no one cleared 50% there. Isaac Barron at least came somewhat close with almost 41%, so he may have an edge over Jared Hardy (who only scored 27.7% so far). And in Ward 3, incumbent Anita Wood probably won another term tonight, as she scored 54.4% in the early vote.

So far, the status quo seems to be holding in most of the Southern Nevada cities. There just may be some interesting drama brewing in North Las Vegas. Just stay tuned here at Nevada Progressive. Tomorrow, we'll post another update on the big municipal races.

PAC's & Mudslinging in North Las Vegas

And it's election time again! Wait, didn't we already have one last November? Yes, we did... For federal, state, and county offices. This spring, however, features municipal elections for all Clark County cities.

North Las Vegas is one of these cities. And considering North Las Vegas' recent history of salacious scandals and other forms of bad press, this election may very well become a referendum on the current troubled state of the city. That's why we're seeing all sorts of political jockeying and bare-knuckle campaigning emerge.

Take, for instance, the emergence of a new PAC opposing North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck's reelection bid.

A political action committee, helpfully calling itself The Coalition for Truth in Government, has formed to fund an independent expenditure effort that will benefit Buck's main foe, ex-state Sen. John Lee.

Political consultant David Thomas formed the PAC, and he told me Monday he has his first mailer ready to go. So who's funding it?

Thomas wouldn't tell me, but he did acknowledge that at least one union is involved. (Buck has fought with NLV labor groups over budget-cutting.)

"These are people who are angry with Shari Buck," Thomas told me. "I believe she's doing a lousy job....a horrendous job. I'm not sure there's a government that has been run as badly, and the public needs to know. I don't think she's qualified to be the mayor of any city."

This is what happens when a Mayor and City Council use legally questionable tactics to violate city workers' rights. And this is what happens when a Mayor presides over one of the "10 Worst Run Cities in America". And I guess this is what happens when a Mayor "leads" one's city to the brink of insolvency. And perhaps this is what happens after a Mayor's spouse played a shadowy role in the great city council debacle in the last round of municipal elections. We really shouldn't be surprised this is happening to Shari Buck.

However, there is a strange and surprising twist to this story: John Lee is using this to attempt a political comeback! Yes, that's right. After his stunningly lopsided SD 1 Democratic Primary defeat by Pat Spearman last June, Former State Senator John Lee began crafting his return to the political stage by sending out "feelers" for a potential run for Nor'town City Hall. He must have liked the results. So now, John Lee will again be on the ballot.

As mentioned above, this race has already turned nasty. Buck has already been sending attack mailers against Lee noting his pursuit of multiple offices in the past 18 months (NV-04, SD 1, Nor'town Mayor, did I miss any?). Lee has obviously been hitting Buck over her own record as Nor'town Mayor. And now, PAC money has started to flood the city.

Early voting has already begun today in North Las Vegas, so campaigning there is already hot and heavy. And with 2 other candidates in the Mayoral Ring, there's a possibility of a June runoff. So Nor'towners need to brace themselves. This may be a long, expensive, and dirty slog all through the spring.

The Inconvenient Truth (of the C-Tax Saga)

It may have only been the first week, but it's been quite an action packed week for the Nevada Legislature. Even "The T Word" has reemerged as a major issue, despite some legislators' desire to sweep that under a "revenue-neutral" rug. Included in the big tax talk is the often confusing C-Tax.

The latter has particularly become a hot flash point this week as North Las Vegas protested its sharply shortchanged position thanks to the C-Tax formula. Nor'town officials, including Mayor Shari Buck, traveled to Carson City to personally make their case to legislators. Did it work? Well...

“I was not speaker when I was passionate about this, and I am just as passionate as I was back then,” [Assembly Speaker Marilyn] Kirkpatrick [D-North Las Vegas] told Buck and other North Las Vegas officials at a legislative committee meeting Thursday.

At stake is $25.8 million in additional local government tax allocations from the state to which Buck believes North Las Vegas is entitled. Buck, facing an ailing city budget, argues the additional money would bring the city up to par with other Clark County municipalities.

She said other cities get more money for their residents under a complicated formula to distribute the consolidated tax — a pot of six different levies including sales, liquor and tobacco taxes.

“That is very understandable to me. I hope it is to you also, why this formula needs to be changed,” Buck said.

Kirkpatrick, raising her voice, said she was “not going to lie to North Las Vegas residents today.”

“This formula was never based on population, and I have freakin’ said that for two years,” she said. “I never told anybody anything different.”

The tax revenue routes from the state to local governments through a labyrinthine formula are so complex it took an entire committee meeting to explain it to new legislators earlier this week. Population is one factor in that arcane equation.

The problem here is that population is just one factor in C-Tax revenue distribution. And it's outweighed by other factors, perhaps most notably property values. That's why North Las Vegas received less than half the C-Tax funding of Henderson, and much less C-Tax funding than Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas officials continue crying for help. But at this point, their cries may be falling on deaf ears in Carson City. That may be due to the array of scandals that have plagued Nor'town City Hall. But really, does that merit the state deliberately shortchanging the city?

Nor'town may now be the new butt of jokes of choice in Carson City. However, there is a serious and sinister problem lying beneath the surface. I can't help but remember what we discussed in May regarding the sorry state of Nor'town finances.

The state has also had a major role in putting North Las Vegas in this place. Remember that North Las Vegas gets far less C-Tax funding per capita than Las Vegas and Henderson. And remember that Nor'town has to pay out of its own pocket for services (like public libraries) that Las Vegas and Henderson don't.

Again, there's a glaring inequity in Nevada's tax structure, one that even affects our local governments and their finances. And it seems especially cruel that it's hitting many of Southern Nevada's poorest communities the hardest. After all, these are the communities that need things like libraries, after school programs, and crime prevention the most. And now, Nor'town is being asked to cut more.

While the City of North Las Vegas has made many poor decisions in the past on budgeting and setting proper priorities, the people of this city should not be punished simply because of their zip code... And because other municipalities were savvier in snatching away state funds. North Las Vegas, we really have a problem. And it's far deeper than you think.

Perhaps this is the key reason why Legislature leaders would rather just take down and swat away North Las Vegas emissaries as they plea for help. They continue reminding us of the pernicious inconvenient truth that so many politicians in Carson City prefer to ignore. Yet as long as they cry for help, we're reminded of why Nevada's current tax structure is failing so many of our people.

Gone With the C-Tax

Remember the C-Tax? Wait, what?

Come on, you must remember the C-Tax. The City of Fernley sued over it last year. The Nevada Supreme Court has since dismissed part of the suit while sending the rest back to district court.

But that's just the start of it. Last April, we examined how North Las Vegas also got the short end of the C-Tax stick. Long story short, Henderson received double the C-Tax revenue of North Las Vegas despite having only about 50,000 more residents (North Las Vegas has 217,482 residents compared to Henderson's 267,270 residents). And on top of that indignity, North Las Vegas must fund its own libraries while the state directly funds Las Vegas-Clark County and Henderson Libraries. Because Henderson and Las Vegas have higher property values than North Las Vegas, they receive far more state funding.

Apparently, North Las Vegas has finally had enough. During the interim, some legislators were contemplating changes to the C-Tax. Now, Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D-North Las Vegas) is championing AB 68. However, North Las Vegas officials don't think it goes far enough. So they proposed an amendment... An amendment that may blow up the entire AB 68 accord.

Attached is our proposed amendment to AB68 and an additional sheet that outlines the reasoning behind the amount of base adjustment listed in the amendment. I will tell you that we have not gotten any sign-off from the City of Henderson either on this language, the amount requested, or even if they support the amendment.

Our reasoning for including them is that all of the modeling done by the CTax Interim Committee working group reflected that both Henderson and North Las Vegas are deserving of a base adjustment. To not include them would defeat the purpose of having this one time base adjustment truly make all the cities in Clark County have an equitable starting point for the new formula reflected in AB68. It is very important to realize that by using the excess distribution this year as the source of this base adjustment - no entity in Clark County will receive less money than they received the previous year. Because AB68 will roll excess into the base going forward, if a base adjustment is determined to be prudent in a later year - entities may in fact receive less. That would not be the intent of North Las Vegas.

We simply ask for the opportunity to present our information, facts and reasoning behind this proposed amendment and that the committee give it due consideration. We in no way intend for our actions to do anything to jeopardize the passage of AB68. This amendment will start everyone on a fair and equitable base going forward under AB68.

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Musgrove
On Behalf of the City of North Las Vegas

Apparently, Nor'town thought inclusion of Henderson could help secure the amendment requesting more C-Tax funding. But instead, Henderson officials are keeping their distance from this amendment. After all, Henderson is already getting a pretty good deal from the current setup. And city officials don't want to upset Speaker Kirkpatrick, the one who seems to be calling the shots on C-Tax reform in Carson City.

What we have here is a strange mix of terrible tax policy, a possibly sincere attempt to fix it, a clash of personalities, and perhaps some brutal electoral politics as well. As we've discussed before, the current C-Tax structure may very well be a civil rights violation. Poor minority heavy communities in North Las Vegas have been chronically underfunded as wealthier and whiter communities in the state have enjoyed more state funding. There's something inherently wrong in this.

And North Las Vegas is now feeling the pressure to change this. It just so happens that municipal elections happen this spring, and Mayor Shari Buck (R) is running for reelection. Yet Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen (D) is also running for reelection in his city. And I doubt Henderson City Hall has any kind of appetite for ruining its relationship with #NVLeg leadership as both AB 68 and the broader budget are being negotiated.

So we now have another hot mess. And yet again, it revolves around Nor'town. And state legislators are reminded again of how faulty Nevada's tax structure truly is. Such is the story of our fine state.

Sex, Lies, & City Hall: Local Scandal in Southern Nevada

As early voting continues in the Las Vegas Ward 6 Recall Election, lurid allegations ("Sex! Drugs! Extortion! Fraud! Harassment!") continue to fly in Henderson's Kathleen Vermillion/Steve Sisolak scandal, and North Las Vegas struggles to shed its not-far-in-the-past image of corruption, dysfunction, and failure, challenges continue to pile up for local governments in Southern Nevada. Trust in local authorities seems to continually hit rock bottom as of late, and the cities here are trying everything possible to regain that trust.

So how can they? And should we give it back to them?

---



Let's start in Henderson, the city where I live. Of all the cities in Southern Nevada, it's often said that Henderson is the best run of them all. And hey, who can justifiably dispute that after seeing that Henderson has found ways in the last 3 years to amicably settle contracts with city workers, keep all the city's parks and community centers open, and (again) recently rank as one of America's Safest Cities by Forbes (now up to #2!) and as one of America's 50 Best Cities by Bloomberg BusinessWeek (now at #38)? Considering all of Henderson's many accolades and glitzy awards, why does my hometown now look and feel like a politically charged remake of "sex, lies, and videotape"?

Let me try to explain. Since 2008, Vermillion's and Sisolak's relationship has been a factor in Henderson politics. Sisolak was elected County Commissioner in November 2008, and Vermillion (then known as Kathleen Boutin) was elected City Council Member in June 2009. They were to be "The Ultimate Power Couple". He was the "fiscally conservative watchdog taking on the firefighters" at the county level, while she was the beloved community leader in Henderson who was doing so much good for local teens in need. Everything seemed perfect...

But obviously behind the scenes, it wasn't. We've already been seeing the details behind the deterioration of their romantic relationship. However, that wasn't the end of it. Perhaps last year's jurisdiction battles and municipal elections were a sign of what's to come. Kathleen Vermillion voiced early support for the controversial plan to concretize part of Pittman Wash, while Steve Sisolak opposed it. And Sisolak backed the challengers to two of Vermillion's colleagues on the Henderson Council (Gerri Schroder in Ward 1, and Debra March in Ward 2) in last year's election. At one point, they were also endorsing opposing candidates in the Ward 4 election. (Vermillion endorsed Mike Mayberry early on before switching to "neutral" just before the runoff, while Sisolak endorsed Sam Bateman.) Honestly, I found it strange hearing him complain about the supposed "fiscal recklessness in Henderson" (which actually has the lowest city worker to resident ratio and the lowest property tax rate in the valley!) when his girlfriend was on the council.

But even now that Vermillion is off the council and the NPHY board, questions remain. How did Vermillion spend the money at her charity? How did Vermillion spend the city's tax dollars? Why is Clark County government now being dragged into this fiasco? Were city business and county affairs affected by Vermillion's and Sisolak's personal relationship? And perhaps most importantly, what can the City of Henderson do to ensure city government is not paralyzed by this kind of personal drama in the future?

As we had discussed last week, it's crucial for Henderson to move on from this hot mess and get back to governing. Without a doubt, the council members, and especially new Ward 3 Council Member John Marz, face a grueling challenge ahead in rebuilding trust with the community and assuring residents that the Vermillion-Sisolak scandal is one that isn't destined to be repeated in Henderson. How can they prevent this kind of personal drama from infecting all levels of local government in the future?

---

Of course, Henderson isn't the only city in Southern Nevada facing lurid scandal. In Las Vegas, voters are still casting ballots that may determine not only Steve Ross' political future, but also how effective issues surrounding conflict of interest will be in shaping future campaigns.

Steve Ross has repeatedly been accused of being involved in all sorts of conflict of interest and ethics violations. He obviously hasn't been a model for great public service, and many residents are honestly (and IMHO justifiably) irked by this. However, many of these same residents are also wondering why they're voting on this recall today. Why?

Enter Joe Scala. Apparently Scala is still fuming over being denied a license to keep his car dealership in Centennial Hills open, and he's blaming it on Ross. So now Ross is accusing Byron Goynes, the one candidate who qualified to run against him in this recall election, of being "a puppet for Scala"... And he's even trying to tie Goynes and Scala to Henderson's Vermillion-Sisolak scandal by pointing out the recall committee hiring the same PR strategist (Mark Fierro) who's taken on Kathleen Vermillion as a client! Oh my, and the plot thickens.

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out the whole point of this. No, I've never really been Steve Ross' biggest fan. I still wonder why he sought to earn Homophobic-Bigot-in-Chief Richard Ziser's endorsement when he ran for Las Vegas Mayor last year, and his stunning lack of knowledge on the big issues facing our country still disgusts me. However, I still can't clearly see the reason for this recall. Has Ross committed a crime? Is he egregiously failing in his duty on the council? And have his obvious public policy shortcomings become such a matter of emergency that Las Vegas can't wait one more year to vote him out (when he will again be up for reelection in Ward 6)?

Is this a genuine effort to clean house on the Las Vegas City Council? Or is this just an angry car dealer's vendetta being carried out on the taxpayers' dime?

---




Well, at least Las Vegas doesn't have to worry about this. North Las Vegas was recently ranked as one of "The 10 Worst Run Cities in America". And considering the budget woes, the possibly continuing threat of state receivership and dissolution, the new city hall that many claim the city can't really afford, and the troubling thought that we may never know who really won in last year's disputed Ward 4 election, there's probably good justification for this finding.

"Nor'town" has continually tried for decades to shed its image as "the armpit of the valley". But now, Mayor Shari Buck claims all will finally be well... And that whoever disputes her sunny outlook is just out to steal North Las Vegas' land (and development potential). After all, 57% of Nor'town's land is still undeveloped. So perhaps there is some truth behind Buck's assertion that Las Vegas and Clark County are coveting Nor'town's available land?

Last June, I declared that there's something rotten in the state (really, city) of North Las Vegas. And despite (or maybe because of?) Shari Buck's efforts to turn all those frowns upside down, I still have to wonder where that stench is coming from (other than whatever's going on at that waste water treatment plant). Why is a new city hall open while parks and community centers have closed? What really needs to be done to change the city's image (other than glossing over the faults everyone else clearly notices)? And how can all that empty land be transformed into a vital part of the local economy?

Perhaps North Las Vegas' dilemma is the most basic and existential problem of them all. Really, how can North Las Vegas move forward?

---

Certainly this year, the bulk of the media's attention will be turned to the hot, "sexy", top-of-the-ticket elections. After all, with the G-O-TEA clowns coming to town, there will be plenty of fodder for local newscasts and national cable news shows alike. But after all the hoopla of the caucus and fighting over who really won what, these local problems will remain. And really, the government we most often deal with is the local variety. Whenever we have problems with rowdy neighbors or pesky potholes or dilapidated parks or dangerous sidewalks, we go first to city hall.

And so far in this first month of 2012, we've had plenty of food for thought as personal drama got out of hand in Henderson, a recall election unleashed plenty of chaos in Las Vegas, and still unanswered questions of the city's viability in the not-so-distant future linger in North Las Vegas. How does local government address scandal? How can local government try to prevent scandals from ruining its reputation? And how can local government heal rifts with the community after scandals come and go?

Local government theoretically should be the government that we trust the most and hesitate the least over engaging. Yet for some time, a combination of the public's misperceptions and genuine scandals has tarnished our cities' reputations and made folks ask what's really going on at city hall. Going forward, Henderson, Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas all have to face their own respective challenges in restoring trust and giving the people of Southern Nevada reason to believe that past sordid tales of corruption really are a thing of the past.

What's Happening in North Las Vegas?

Strange things are happening in North Las Vegas. George Knapp has his own take on what's happening, but I've been hearing things that tell a different story... Or at least, things that make this story far more nuanced and complicated.

Laura at The Sausage Factory has some questions about what's going on.

When North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck's dentist, Wade Wagner, won the Ward 4 City Council race by one vote over the Democrat incumbent, Richard Cherchio, North Las Vegas prepared itself for a recount.

During the Clark County election department's audit, it was discovered that someone voted in the wrong ward. The election might be invalid. Shit got real.

A city council meeting was called. The decision was made by the council to re-do the election in the precinct where the "mis-vote" was cast. Mayor Buck abstained from voting because not only is Wagner her dentist, her husband worked for his campaign. Cherchio also abstained from voting.

As expected, the Wagner campaign is suing over the decision. And for some reason, former North Las Vegas Mayor (and failed gubernatorial candidate) Mike Montandon filed a restraining order. But to be quite honest, as a resident of unincorporated Clark County, I didn't care. I don't live in North Las Vegas and I never plan to.

And honestly as a Henderson resident, folks may wonder why I'm paying more attention to this. Let me explain why.

Knapp may have his own questions about Cherchio, but I am really wondering what's behind this mysterious push for Wade Wagner. Police and fire unions formed PACs and sent out attack mailers, but they never filed the necessary reports with the Secretary of State's office. Why?

These said mailers included a whole bunch of attacks that were proven to be false, such as accusing Cherchio of approving hundred-million-dollar projects when he actually wasn't on the council. Why?

And Mike Montandon is now suing to stop the revote in the disputed precinct. Why? Why is he now involved in this sordid hot mess?

But wait, there's more! North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck has stated that her husband, Keith, worked for Wade Wagner's campaign. However, Keith Buck was never listed as an expense (as all paid campaign workers are supposed to be) on any of the Wagner campaign's reports. Why?

Honestly, I wanted to write about this election before... But I was too afraid to take it on because of all the unanswered questions. And honestly, I still feel guilty about being a part of the media that always seemed to give North Las Vegas the short end of the stick. #lvmayor was "the sexy race" of the year, and those of us in Henderson were obviously focusing more on what was happening with the Henderson council races.

But at this point, it may really be necessary to ask more questions, since it doesn't look like we'll be getting answers easily otherwise. Why isn't Keith Buck listed as a campaign expense if he worked for Wade Wagner's campaign, as his wife, Mrs. North Las Vegas Mayor, so freely admits? Why is Mike Montandon claiming he will be "disenfranchised" if a revote occurs in HIS precinct (which also happens to be the home precinct of Shari Buck's parents)? Why is someone who was recently appointed to the Citizens Advisory Board and the Utility Advisory Board by Shari Buck now oh so conveniently filing ethics complaints against Richard Cherchio, the council member Shari Buck's friend and dentist Wade Wagner seeks to defeat?

There's something rotten in the state of North Las Vegas. And though it may be late, I figure it's better to to find out what's rotting now than never.