Public urged to vote on council additions

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1998 | 11:22 a.m.

The committee recommending whether the Las Vegas City Council should be expanded made a slight about-face Monday when it presented an update to that board.

Despite a vote taken last Thursday that it recommend adding two seats to the board, committee Chairman Ron Portaro said Monday the committee is "not recommending that two wards be added."

Instead, Portaro told City Council, the committee is recommending the matter be left to the residents.

In the motion approved Dec. 17, the committee said it would recommend that City Council add two seats and allow voters to express their opinion in an advisory vote. The vote of the voters was approved as an amendment to the committee's original vote.

The Council Review Committee met again Monday before its presentation to the City Council and decided it would only be recommending the advisory vote.

The committee has been closely watched to see whether it would recommend a salary increase for City Council, vote to make the position a full-time job or increase the number of wards -- and thus, some argue, increase the likelihood of a minority getting elected to the position.

"There seems to be this myth that we are able to create a new ward, district, whatever, for a particular race or ethnic type," Councilman Larry Brown said Monday, referring to past state Legislature efforts seeking to mandate that Las Vegas increase the size of its council from four to six members.

State Sen. Joe Neal (D-North Las Vegas) introduced the legislation that failed by one vote. A compromise bill, which gave the city the authority, but not the mandate, to add council seats was approved instead.

City Council created the CRC in October to study whether it should add seats. The seven-member committee's final report will be made Jan. 11.

The committee is recommending that City Council salaries be increased to 90 percent of whatever Clark County commissioners make. That would increase council salaries from $36,900 to $48,600.

The committee also agreed to keep the salary differential between city councilmen and the mayor at roughly the same percentage it is now. The mayor's position thus would increase from $48,527 to $63,163 -- or roughly $9,100 more than the county commissioners earn.

The committee is also recommending council members be allowed to hold jobs outside in addition to their council work -- a practice currently allowed.