Councilman: No diversity guarantee with big council

Tuesday, April 20, 1999 | 9:10 a.m.

Growth in Las Vegas is away from the downtown area and towards the west and north, Brown said, adding, "It would be very difficult to say there would be a person representing a race, creed or color."

Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, said the "sphere of influence" of blacks and Hispanics was lessened when the boundaries of the wards were redrawn.

The committee heard testimony on SB274, which would ask voters in the June election whether to expand the council. It would be mandatory if the voters approve.

Neal, who sponsored the bill, said he thinks the council is opposed to the move because it is placing an "astronomical" cost on adding two council members. "That means they want the voters to defeat this," he said.

But Brown said he supported the ballot question. At present he said the council wards are supposed to represent 100,000 people, but there's variation of as much as 23 percent. An expanded council would mean each member would represent 75,000 to 80,000 residents.

"But you would not see much change in the downtown" representation, he said.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that while the expansion will not guarantee minority representatives, it gives minorities an opportunity.