Sue Brna runs for LV council

David Clayton

Tuesday, March 4, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

A woman whose passion for neighborhood preservation invigorated an entire section of Las Vegas is announcing today she is a candidate for City Council.

Sue Brna, who formed an organization in 1995 that now represents 10,000 households in the area encompassed by Decatur Boulevard and Buffalo Drive and Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue, will challenge Councilman Arnie Adamsen in Ward 2.

Charles Umnuss, a Sun City tax-equity advocate, also plans to run against Adamsen.

The whole gamut of zoning issues, from billboards to neighborhood casinos, has been the Charleston Heights Neighborhood Association's focus. The U.S. 95 widening project incensed the group because members said it would destroy dozens of homes in their neighborhood while actually increasing hazards on the highway. Their opposition was to no avail.

Brna said this "was the straw that broke the camel's back" in convincing her that she should run for the council.

Shortly after the City Council endorsed that state project, Brna quit as president of the group she had formed, now known simply as Charleston Neighborhood Preservation.

But she didn't quit so she could creep silently away and lick her wounds. She quit so she could come back as a City Council candidate.

As a resident concerned about her neighborhood and the city's political direction, Brna said she was often frustrated in her many appearances before the City Council because the odds seemed stacked against ordinary citizens.

"Small people fighting five attorneys, that was always so discouraging," Brna said, referring to the resources that developers have in comparison to residents.

As a councilwoman, Brna said she would propose that city attorneys spend some time with average citizens, helping them through what is often a labyrinth of procedural measures as they try to get their point across about a specific project.

"They appoint public defenders for criminals," Brna said. "So why can't honest, hard-working people get a little guidance?"

Brna came into prominence two years ago as co-chairwoman of the city's Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance Committee, formed after the SUN highlighted code-enforcement problems in its long-running Neighborhood Nightmares series. The committee spent about five months poring over ordinances pertaining to residential areas and submitted recommendations that resulted in stronger codes being passed into law. The city's Rapid Response Team, which celebrated its first anniversary yesterday, was formed largely due to the committee's work.

Brna, 39, is the mother of 14-year-old Renee and 13-year-old Kurt. Her husband, Craig, coached a Red Rock Little League team for four years and her dad, Howard Lieburn, is a volunteer tax preparer for the American Association of Retired Persons. With her kids being "straight-A students," she likes to point out that her whole family loves Las Vegas and is committed to making positive contributions.

She moved here in 1992 from Illinois. After finishing some course work at UNLV, she received a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in graphic design. A painter, she has been active in the Las Vegas arts community.

City Council candidates must file by March 27.

Brna said she will rely heavily on volunteers to help spread the word about her campaign.

"I have no money but I have people," Brna said. "That's the way it's supposed to be."

Sue Brna