Gates says more needs to be done in county

Jeffrey Schweers

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

When asked what she hasn't been able to accomplish during her first four years on the County Commission, Yvonne Atkinson Gates quickly ticked off a list of accomplishments.

She pushed for the creation of an affordable housing committee, convinced the commission to support legislation that would enable the county to help pay for schools, helped establish an enterprise zone for federal economic assistance and brought two new community centers to the district.

Then she looks her inquisitor and says: "There's still a lot of work."

Gates, 40, is running for a second term in District D, which includes some of the more economically depressed neighborhoods in unincorporated Clark County, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.

Her Republican opponent, Earl Swift, is a barber. He could not be reached for comment.

Gates' background is in public administration. She spent eight years on the Clark County School Board before replacing William "Doc" Pearson in 1992 on the County Commission. She has been chairwoman since 1995.

Gates has been busy during the last four years securing funding for job development, child care centers and other economic assistance to disadvantaged communities. She also serves on the Regional Transportation Commission and the Debt Management Commission.

It was on the Debt Management Commission that Gates and fellow Commissioner Myrna Williams caused a stir by leading the movement that killed the $172 million second part of a proposed referendum to build new schools. They said state law charged them with the responsibility of denying any bond sales that would raise the debt rate above a certain cap, but critics said they were robbing the public of a chance to make the decision. County voters will decide on Nov. 5 whether to approve the first part of the referendum, Question 18, which would raise property taxes to build 16 news schools and improve 186 older ones.

As a peace offering, Gates offered a plan to expand an existing statute to create a pay-as-you-go fund to help finance school construction. The board adopted the plan as part of its legislative platform for 1997.

While most of her constituents live in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, Gates has opposed consolidation of city and county services because she fears the plan would create a large government bureaucracy. Gates also is opposed to any tax-equity plan that lowers city property taxes while raising taxes for residents in the county.