NLV mayor’s race targets economy

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

The city's money management and zoning practices are the most divisive issues in the battle between Theron Goynes and Mike Montandon to become the next mayor of North Las Vegas.

The winner on Tuesday will replace Mayor James Seastrand and serve for the next four years.

Goynes, who has served on the City Council for 17 years, argues the city is fiscally responsible as evidenced by the "A" bond rating it received from Moody's Investors Services.

"My opponent says we're in fiscal disarray, which is totally untrue," Goynes said. "He's blowing hot air. He comes from the ranks that we're spendthrifts, but we're not. Our city manager and finance director have moved this city forward financially."

Montandon sees it differently. The 33-year-old commercial real estate appraiser for Bank of America has accused the city of mismanaging its parks and recreation funds. He also has said the city's general fund is propped up by an unstable water fund.

He also opposes deficit spending.

"We're not the federal government," Montandon said. "We don't have the ability to issue Treasury bills."

Goynes, a 67-year-old retired elementary school principal, also defended the city's residential and commercial developments.

"We're certainly not going to put anything in a neighborhood that will devalue property," he said. "We have good developers. They develop quality projects and nothing is being railroaded through."

Montandon, president of the Hidden Canyon Homeowners Association, accuses city officials of letting politics get in the way of good planning. He has complained about spot zoning, such as placement of apartments next to single-family homes.

"Right now the zoning cases that are pushed through by the most powerful people are the ones that get approved rather than the ones good for our community," he said.

Goynes said he's the right man for the job because of his City Hall experience and the fact he's retired.

"I have the time to put in," he said. "You can't be a part-time mayor."

Montandon said he's the right man for the job for different reasons.

"Goynes represents the status quo and the leadership that has (made) a lot of mistakes," Montandon said. "I represent the change."

If elected, Goynes said he would push for more schools. He also said he recognizes that the city needs more parks and recreation facilities.

Montandon, also a parks advocate, wants to build more police substations and remove graffiti quickly by hiring private companies to perform the cleanup.